Is this a loophole in private schools?

[namechangetoinvestigate]

Posting here for discussion.

I know a boy at a top private school in Edinburgh who currently has 25% extra time in written exams for slow handwriting. He's a normal academic achieving boy with no learning difficulties. The school has advised the parents that they are going to apply for extra time next year for all his exams, not just written exams.

It made me wonder, is it one of the reasons private schools are getting better results because normal academic achieving kids are getting awarded 25% extra time? That's a big advantage.

I know there's a lot of pressure for private schools to get the grades and wondering if this might be a loop hole they take advantage of, are private schools given privilege when applying for extra time in exams?

The child is in my extended family, so I know there's no other learning difficulties. This doesn't sit right with my conscience.

Why have you posted this twice? People are answering your other thread.
Which school btw?

How well do you know though. I’d guess he has been seen by an Ed psych. Maybe the parents don’t want their child’s diagnosis known and he does need extra time.

I’d agree that children are more likely / faster diagnosed with additional needs if their parents / school have the resources to navigate the system. It’s bloody slow and painful otherwise.

Any school can make this request of behalf of its pupils. I know 2 lads in the state system that have this additional support. It is not limited to the private sector.

I hope not. T'would make an absolute mockery of exam results. For me, the whole point of final exam results is to show an employer what you can achieve. If anyone has extra time, or extra help in any way, shape or form, the results become meaningless to potential employers.

Is it for slow writing or is it because he has an SpLD? I doubt anyone can get extra time without a diagnosed SpLD.

What, even if you've got SEN arethereanyleft? You think children should be penalised for their disabilities?

My friend whose friend has just sat his GCSEs said that all the children who got extra time for whatever reason were sat at the front of the hall. Apparently it was nearly 20%!

No loophole. There a range of issues which lead to various exam concessions and are available to anyone. Issues are more likely to be spotted in an independent school I think, though, because of smaller classes and therefore more 1-1 attention. This is the selling point of independents in relation to education as a whole.
I’ve been teaching for 30 years, have worked in state (mainly) and independent sectors.

A qualified assessor will need to have tested him. All exam centres can apply for access Arrangements btw. It’s about if the student qualifies or not, they can’t just randomly allocate access arrangements. It’s all followed up by JCQ inspectors.

Orchid. I think exam results should be an honest reflection of your capabilities. Otherwise I don't really get the point of them.

Well, when I was doing my GCSEs I didn’t need extra time for slow handwriting, because I write a side in about 10 minutes. But when I was teaching, I saw students with slow handwriting who had perfectly good understanding failing exams time and time again, because they couldn’t physically get the information from their heads down on to the page. Surely not their fault?

I know the child well he's part of my extended family. There are no learning difficulties. The extra time has been granted for slow hand writing. I've seen the email for the school. I don't want to name the school. The parents didn't request it, it was recommended by the school but it doesn't sit right with me.

If they don’t have any evidence of need they’ll be done for malpractice by the exam board, so I imagine he does have some additional needs. I doubt the school would go through a whole malpractice case just for one boy to get a little longer in his exams

I assume his writing speed will have been tested by a qualified assessor. If his standardised score is less than 70 he would qualify for access Arrangements. He wouldn’t necessarily have to have a diagnosed SEN

If he takes longer to write then he will need longer to complete the exam, it’s not rocket science. The access arrangement he is getting is available to children all across the UK

@BiscuitDrama I've posted here for a wider audience and to open up the discussion. I've posted on the old thread that I'm posting here too for traffic 😊

A legitimate loophole available to any pupil with SN.

I know someone who was allowed to do exam on computer because of handwriting problems. No one criticised her.

My ex is a maths teacher and SENDCo in a state comp, state schools and private schools follow the same process to apply for exams access arrangements and have to follow the same testing criteria and have to provide the same evidence.

I had extra time in my exams, I have no LDs, but English is not my first language so it does take me longer to process information, write down my thoughts etc. This arrangement carried on during my examinations at Cambridge.

I didn't know slow handwriting falls under SN? It's good to know.

Ok, I only use ‘active threads’ so seems a bit pointless to me, but I guess we’re all different.
Was the school SM or not SM?

They don’t just hand out extra time if you ask nicely. You’d probably say the same of my son who scores over average in attainment grades and is a bright intelligent boy BUT has dyspraxia which means handwriting is a struggle for him. He doesn’t get the time because he can’t get the grades he gets the time because not having to rush trying to focus and fight his disability reflects his true intellectual ability.

Poor handwriting is reflective of dyspraxia btw. It’s a processing and fine movements disability

All schools do this, state and private. It is in the school’s benefit as extra time gives the possibility of a better grade and all schools are judged by their published results, by Ofsted and parents.

I mean 84 or less. They will need to have evidence.

I’m a SENDCo and there are lots of reasons why a pupil may have slow handwriting. These reasons don’t always have to be part of a special need but they are an additional need that requires special arrangements.

For pupils to be granted additional time or the right to use a laptop for handwriting reasons they have had to have been assessed by either an Ed Psych of a paediatric Occupational Therapist.