Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

School not allowing scribe to student who is entitled?

92 replies

CanvasAwning · 03/03/2016 06:27

I believe that if a student is entitled to a scribe then school are legally bound to offer one. I am thinking that they could use "normal way of working" as a reason for refusal. But if they haven't offered a scribe then how could it be normal way of working and if student has only just qualified for a scribe then it couldn't be normal way of working either.

What can be done if the school is refusing to offer a scribe to student who is entitled to one? Year 11.

OP posts:
Original poster
CanvasAwning · 05/03/2016 12:38

School assessed. He qualified to use a spellcheck in exams which you can only access if you qualify for a scribe.... standardised scores below 84. Independent and objective evidence from former SENCO and qualified teachers from other secondary schools.

OP posts:
rosebiggs · 05/03/2016 13:02

What was the spelling standardised score and what percentage of his writing is illegible to a person not familiar with it?
Why are school assessing for access arrangements at this late stage?
Have school allowed the spell check because using a laptop is his usual way of working?

School must be able to provide evidence of usual way of working and history of need to an Inspector. If someone has had an accident and needs a scribe then there will be no evidence, but for a spld there should be. If JCQ decide that the school haven't followed the guidelines the student can be disqualified from their course.

Bluebonnie · 05/03/2016 14:00

"School assessed. He qualified to use a spellcheck in exams which you can only access if you qualify for a scribe.... standardised scores below 84. Independent and objective evidence from former SENCO and qualified teachers from other secondary schools."

CANVAS AWNING - Please read the current regulations, paragraph 5.7.4 on page 46.

You will see that Normal Way of Working is the turning point.

If word processing is his normal way of working, AND certain conditions are met, he may possibly have spell check enabled but will lose the SPAG marks.

There is no way he can have a human scribe unless that is his normal way of working.

Schools cannot afford to provide human scribes as normal way of working unless the pupil is very needy, and it's specified in an EHCP.

Original poster
CanvasAwning · 05/03/2016 14:47

I appreciate that it has to be normal way of working but how can it be normal way of working for someone who has only just been tested? There needs to be a day from which it becomes normal way of working and prior to that day, it won't have been normal way of working. What if school were legally required to offer it as normal way of working but didn't?

OP posts:
Original poster
CanvasAwning · 05/03/2016 14:52

Schools cannot afford to provide human scribes as normal way of working unless the pupil is very needy, and it's specified in an EHCP.

There will be many more students that qualify for a scribe than have an EHCP. It's not a question of being very needy, but qualifying for a scribe via standardised tests. Most students that have scribes will only have them for exams and controlled assessments and coursework.

OP posts:
LIZS · 05/03/2016 15:05

Most students that have scribes will only have them for exams and controlled assessments and coursework.

No they won't , unless due to an accident or sudden event, as it won't be their established mode of working. Has your ds taken mocks recently? What access arrangements did he use if so. Without an ehcp it isn't a defined need and won't be enforceable. There is a deadline to submit access applications shortly for summer exams iirc.

Original poster
CanvasAwning · 05/03/2016 15:28

There are not enough TAs to cover every child that qualifies for a scribe in every single lesson. If approx 12 children per year group qualify for a scribe then the school would need 60 TAs just to cover them and would need even more TAs to cover all the other SEN students. Many students who qualify for scribes will not have EHCPs.

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2016 15:32

IME, few students have a scribe as part of their access arrangements. All in my school do have EHCPs in fact, although there are many more with other access arrangements including WP and using a computer reader.

I'm not clear on what is happening. You son is in year 11, and the school have organised for him to be assessed for access arrangements, including a scribe, but will now not provide one?

Original poster
CanvasAwning · 05/03/2016 15:41

the school have organised for him to be assessed for access arrangements, including a scribe, but will now not provide one?

Yes. Do you work in secondary school?

OP posts:
Halftruth · 05/03/2016 15:43

I 'm a mature learner at college they just did some test on me and im entiled to a reader . i'm 35 so why is he not getting his need's met .

ChalkHearts · 05/03/2016 15:47

He must be doing pretty badly in class now if he needs a scribe and isn't getting one.

TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2016 15:49

Yes, I do.

camptownraces · 05/03/2016 15:49

You said
School assessed. He qualified to use a spellcheck in exams which you can only access if you qualify for a scribe.... standardised scores below 84. Independent and objective evidence from former SENCO and qualified teachers from other secondary schools.

Are you now saying that the school's assessment consisted of evidence from teachers at other schools? This is most unusual, and I don't think it carries any weight. What counts is evidence from the current teachers.

OR
Are you saying that the school has evidence for spellcheck (with word processor) but are refusing to implement the spellcheck?

Tell us what is actually happening.

TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2016 15:50

Where do the retired SENCO and other teachers come in?

Original poster
CanvasAwning · 05/03/2016 15:54

Basically.... he qualified for scribe but is not being offered one.

School assessment did not include evidence from teachers from other schools.

This is all going off topic.

The main question is "Am I entitled to demand a scribe?"

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2016 15:55

What reason do they give?

ChalkHearts · 05/03/2016 16:03

What do you mean by 'demand'?

Presumably you've already asked clearly. Is that demanding?

You can't sue a school. So what do you mean by demand?

Halftruth · 05/03/2016 16:06

Yes . as long as you have a statement from senco or who ever else deals with this for you .you can demand one .I can refuse to sit an exam until they provide me with one . it's not

Halftruth · 05/03/2016 16:08

I'd ring the exam board to find out where you stand .

TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2016 16:13

Normal way of working does not necessarily mean a scribe in every lesson. But it would be a scribe in internal tests and exams, controlled assessments etc.

TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2016 16:16

Why did they apply for use of a scribe if they had no intention of using one?

Original poster
CanvasAwning · 05/03/2016 17:34

Why did they apply for use of a scribe if they had no intention of using one?
To enable use of spellcheck.

I did not literally mean "demand" as in "ask authoritatively or brusquely".

I meant "demand" as in: "an insistent and peremptory request, made as of right".

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2016 17:56

Ah, OK. Well, it isn't enough to just have the assessments. They have to have other evidence as well, to support the use of a scribe. The document linked to below sets it all out very clearly. Have you had a meeting with the SENCO to discuss this?

Original poster
CanvasAwning · 05/03/2016 18:02

I am pretty sure he would meet "other evidence" criteria. Do you have the link?

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 05/03/2016 18:09

OddBoots posted it below. p45 onwards. Have you had a meeting with the SENCO to discuss?