Private school pupils more likely than state school to get extra time in exams

[LattePatty]

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/lofqual-students-extra-time-exams-2024-25

Context: I have a GCSE age child in a state school who doesn’t need extra time and a younger child with SEN who probably will.

I heard this yesterday - 1 in 6 pupils get extra time in exams (which is more than I would have realised) and the proportion is HIGHER in private schools than state schools.

How can this be? I know there are some private special schools but the majority of private schools I know are academically selective. Are there really higher levels of SEN needing extra time in private schools vs state?

So what’s going on: Are private schools gaming the system? Are private school parents more able to pay for assessments privately? Something else?

We all know that private schools fees give the advantage of smaller class sizes and better facilities and maybe better teaching (moot point I think). But I certainly didn’t realise another benefit might be extra time in exams.

No they just listen to parents more. It’s not gaming the system - the state system lets SEN kids down spectacularly in many instances. And my son has extra time but we weren’t just given that, we had to provide evidence of need from his teachers and paediatrician. He autistic and dyspraxic.

Ffs 😡

Let's attack independent schools more rather than look at why state schools don't apply for more.

FYI there are roughly same % of SEND in state and independent sector.

Do you even know how access arrangements work? The school has to apply against a strict set of criteria. You don't just get handed RAs by asking!

My child goes to an excellent state school. She is dyslexic. She has a very clear plan already (not in exam years) of the extra support the school will argue for in exams (lap top, some one to read and rewrite her science answers). I suspect private schools are much the same. Just on top of it, know the rules, take the time to apply for the supports as good results are their currency.

I wonder what would happen if you normalised for the educational level of the parents. I fear that it’s more that there are parents in state schools who either don’t realise their DC has a problem or ignore it. State schools are very stretched (understatement) so only the most needy (in SEN terms) can be helped.

Anecdote: DS1 will not get extra time but he has an ASD diagnosis. We noticed when he was small, so did nursery, but the first assessor (when he was 4ish) dismissed it as ‘he’s bright, he’ll adapt’. He had his first in-school meltdown age 8 and school, whilst helpful and agreeing he should be assessed said he wasn’t an immediate priority ‘because he’s flying academically’. We are well off enough that we went for a private assessment. I can well imagine this scenario in all sorts of other types of SEN situation…and without the cash to get an assessment the child might not get support.

Also there are more specialist independent SEN schools than state SEN schools so they skew the data

Private school parents are more likely to be involved in their children's education and willing to fight for them to get any diagnosis / extra time they need.

echoing this poster. My child’s primary school tested her for dyslexia and said no she didn’t have it. We didn’t take that a face value and were able to pay for a private educational psychologist who established she was dyslexic. Lots of other people would have either taken school at their word or not been able to pay. I think school would be very different for her then and god knows about exams

I would imagine it’s along the lines of:

Private schools proactively identify those who are eligible for extra time.

State schools generally rely on parents identifying needs and pushing for it.

So the difference really lies in what % of those who could be eligible for it actually getting it.

Thanks all.

So the general view seems to be that the difference is not because private schools game the system but that state school pupils (unless supported by proactive and resourced parents) are let down by the system?

And the numbers of children at private schools who get extra time are likely to be the correct proportion and state school pupils are missing out?

Yes.
But the spin about independent schools "gaming the system" is part of the anti-independent school rhetoric coming from Phillipson and Labour

Sadly some seem to believe that spin instead of really questioning the premise

Yup.

The threshold for getting additional time is actually pretty low. In general the ‘barrier’ is the assessment process and the paperwork. Which is where private schools excel. So where a need is identified, it will normally be met.

As you say, they also have smaller class sizes - so they’re also more likely to identify that need. If you know your pupils individually, it’s much easier to spot where their written assessment performance doesn’t appear to match their performance through the year. They also tend to do end of year exams each year, where issues can show up. State schools are pretty anti exams that aren’t national qualifications. So the bright student who's a slower reader doesn’t show up as they put a bit of extra time into their class work and homework, and compensate by being bright. They show up as above average but not necessarily bright. Whereas in a private school that gap would show up in their year end exams. And they’d have been noticed as bright in class through the year. The gap then gets looked into. A learning difficultly diagnosed. Paperwork done. Extra time given.

I'm an EO in a private school and also have a DC at a different private school with SEN who has access arrangements. I see it from both sides.

I agree with a lot of pps above.

Parents are very engaged. They engage early, so lots of the DC are assessed in prep school and have a continual conversation with school. By year 9 formal AA assessments, we have significant evidence of need saved so AAs are given

Teaching staff have the time and ability to collate the evidence of need in class work, in class based assessments and end of year exams.

Private schools have SEN departments who are supported by SLT.

Parents can afford private assessments early. In my case, school suggested we have DS tested for ASD in yr7. We did this easily and quickly because our private health insurance covered the assessment. He was therefore given his diagnosis 5 weeks later after school contributed to that assessment.

DS has an LSA and we pay for him to have 1:1 three sessions a week with her. State schools can't charge for this, or for additional invigilation so state school parents can't have more for their child if it is needed.

I have never encountered a parent trying to game the system.

One aspect of privilege is understanding and knowing how the system works and getting everything that you’re entitled to. I’m honestly not surprised that a school with a high number of privileged families get more extra time. In most cases they are just getting what they are entitled to.

Yes of course if you pay for an education you expect the educators to get the best result for your child (and the private school also then earns additional money as most charge extra for educational interventions).

So if there’s a whisper of SEN the private school can easily fund an accelerated diagnosis path and get the best available adjustments for your dc.

I don’t think that means private schools are cheating per se, but it’s not hard to get a medical person to diagnose ND if you’re happy to pay these days. I suspect a lot of marginal cases are waived through- a lot of teens have various challenges that present like neurodiversity but are probably more related to the natural ebbs and flows of adolescence. Easy for a paid private consultant to agree, and then the school sends more referrals, and everyone is a winner - pupil wins, school wins, medical professional wins. Over-diagnosis is a victimless “crime”.

Of course an extra 30 mins in an exam makes a massive difference. I’m fairly sure my dd is ND but she masks very well and doesn’t truly need an exam time adjustment. Would a private school get her one anyway? Most likely yes. Would my dd benefit from that in life, from bumping her solid 8s and spattering of 9s to clean sweep 9s? Well, probably - but by the time she’s 30 her gcse and A level grades won’t matter and what I want to do is raise a resilient, robust contributor who has gone through some struggle to rise to an occasion and overcome her personal challenges, knowing she didn’t “cheat the system”.

Many children with SEN are being let down.

there are more specialist independent SEN schools than state SEN schools

Not according to the government’s official establishment data.

According to that, there are 881 other independent special schools.
430 community special schools
335 academy special converters
433 academy special sponser led
76 foundation special schools
207 free schools special

There are also 52 NMSS.

Although not all SS offer exams so it isn’t possible to just look at the number of schools.

I think as a pp said, the problem is that the bar for extra time is perhaps too low. The these kids are turning up in the workplace expecting people to make ludicrous adjustment to “cope” with their various problems instead of just realising they have to get on and overcome their personal limitations. This is contributing to productivity and innovation plummeting in the UK. We are not doing our kids any favours - something that started with good intentions to help children with severe difficulties accessing exams - has spiralled into something out of control.

Actually a good EO and Senco might assign your DD extra time for mocks, then remove it if it hadn't been used.
We monitor all usage of AAs in mocks. We fill in forms for every pupil on every exam. If the AA isn't used it is withdrawn.

Some pupils don't benefit at all from ET, they might need a prompt or rest breaks.

My ASD son has movement breaks because this is more useful for him than another kind of AA. Because he can't focus for too long without zoning out.

And I am not sure it is correct to say that doctors just gives diagnoses out to DC.
We found our own clinical psychologist and speech and language therapist, school didn't recommend them. And our GP also sees the diagnosis and concurs.

I work at an exam board. I know the bar. It isn't really that low at all. The issue is with under funding in state sector.

I've seen a lot of the less selective having a very high % of SEN intake. Presumably parents who can pay have decided this is the only way their kids can get an education. It makes sense if 20% of a year group has SEN to follow the guidance of extra time. If state schools only have 1 or 2 of the kids they probably forget - state isn't as on the ball with SEN and needs which is why parents leave if they can.

😂 They do not 'forget'. If a child has been allocated an access arrangement, the school would be subject to malpractice for not putting that arrangement into place.

And potential legal action from the parent.

Nearly 60 % of private schools are special schools. A lot of mainstream private schools have a higher proportion of SEND pupils than state schools (40% SEND is not uncommon). Parents at private schools don't rely as heavily on the school to do the right thing, they will push for access arrangements and pay for assessments if necessary.

This 100%. Of course there couldn't be a logical explanation for this, it had to be private schools cheating.

I agree with this.

Probably manifold reasons - 1. Rich parents are more able to secure private diagnosis. 2. Private schools may work better with parents due to more time and funding. 3. Kids with some SEN may be put in private school more due to parents wanting the smaller class sizes and SEN provision. 4. More educated parents (of which some are richer) may be more likely to spot signs of ND.

In proportion of % of mainstream Vs specialists there are more specialist independent than specialist state schools.
OP said -" 1 in 6 pupils get extra time in exams (which is more than I would have realised) and the proportion is HIGHER in private schools than state schools". That's because there are proportionally more specialist SEN independent schools than specialist SEN state schools. If you compare the number of overall state Vs independent schools.

That's my point.