Adjustments/concessions or whatever it's called for GCSEs

[insan1tyscartching]

I think I understand that adjustments have to be requested no more than two years prior to exams. Can somebody explain the process to me please and also what would be the maximum adjustment made in terms of time and marking? What evidence is required and from where does this need to come? Is a statement that states the need for extra time because of processing difficulties and slow recording skills sufficient or do school have to provide more evidence?
Dd is y9 at present receives extra time as a matter of routine and a scribe when needed but she has a unique/ unusual difficulty that impacts heavily on several areas of the curriculum which will mean she will not have completed the full curriculum in several subjects and exam papers might well need censoring if she is going to be able to actually sit the exam (again these difficulties and adjustments are documented in her statement and happen in school as a matter of routine) I'm keen to understand what school need to be doing as SENCo isn't terribly pro active without a prod,

Exam boards will produce modified papers if asked in advance but this is usually about making sure that diagrams are clear for students with visual impairments and things of that nature. I have never heard of exam boards agreeing to remove potentially triggering topics and think it is unlikely they would do this as this would be changing the exam to a different exam altogether.

Where students need exam papers enlarged from A4 to A3 or copied onto coloured paper, permission can be given to open the papers early to allow time to do this. I wonder if this is the way to go. The school could open the paper early and cover up the triggering parts.

This is a very unusual request and it is not possible for the school to apply for this through the normal procedures. Someone will need to have a discussion with the examining boards for all the different exams (schools often use a variety of examining boards for different subjects e.g. AQA, Edexcel, WJEC). The obvious person to have this discussion is the SENCO, though many schools have exams officers as well who may take on this task.

Your EP recommendation is vitally important as will be evidence from school about your daughter's difficulties and what they are doing to meet her needs, known as "normal way of working".

Ultimately, the decision lies with the individual examining boards, not with the school. The school's responsibility is to apply for the adjustment and provide the evidence required.

You are so right to be addressing this now. Because this is an unusual request, you don't want to be having these conversations just before the exams.

I realise that what I wrote sounds quite uncouraging. I do genuinely hope that adjustments can be made for your DD & other DC with anxiety/phobias!

Also, if she decides against a level French there are alternative courses out there (not necessarily leading to quals though) so she could carry on learning [

In your situation I would be taking my DC out of school. I would get them therapy. But at the same time I would be home schooling and focusing on the things she could deal with. "College without High School" https://www.amazon.co.uk/College-Without-School-Blake-Boles/dp/0865716552 is a book that can give you some guidance, that it is possible to go to University without GCSEs etc. I have known people in the UK manage this, and several who have just taken the American SATs.
GCSEs are quiet rigid and not every conceivable concession can be allowed.

Possibly a foolish suggestion, with absolutely no knowledge to back it up, but if your daughter has scribe, she is going to need to sit the exam in a separate room anyway. So could her exam start 15 mins later than everyone elses, and the scribe use that time to cover any triggering material. If she is entitled to extra time, but as you hint at, won't use it all, can the extra time be used for this extra?? Or is the scribe not allowed to read the exam paper??

She definitely won't study history from next year, she is currently studying History on an amended curriculum where she didn't attend History at all last year but the teacher this year is Head of History and is better able to amend and offer alternatives whereas last year's teacher wasn't able to.
The subjects where it's clear that she won't be able to cope are the easy ones tbh it's the ones where everything is going well like English or RE and then there is a piece of text (it doesn't even have to be graphic implied or inferred is just as triggering), a photo, a diagram, a video clip and suddenly we are pushed back a million steps and we have to work on getting her back and able to manage.
It's better at the moment, now teachers are aware of how serious it is they make the effort to check resources and warn dd so that she can leave in time but it's been a long time coming because I believe some thought she could toughen up and they wouldn't be seen as pandering (which in effect made everything a lot worse)
It's a pain to read about French A level tbh (although I'm hoping there will be some improvement by then) as she is very very good probably because she learned to speak English in much the same way and her astounding memory and the retained echolalia helps enormously.
Balletgirl I'm hoping for the same for dd but it's so difficult getting the school to make a decision or explore the possibilities which to me should be happening now. I have visions of the option booklet being released and then them all flapping as nobody knows what is happening with dd. SENCo is a science teacher so I was hoping it would be planned for now but it's another thing that is like pulling teeth and there have been lots of those.
Lots to think about though so thank you

mummytime home ed isn't really an option, dd likes her school, wants to be there and would never agree to leave and I don't want to home ed. I'll take on the LA and fight to get her the support she needs in school though to be able to cope the best she can and I work tirelessly with the school and with dd so that she continues to be able to attend and achieve.
Our CAMHS is useless dd's paed and the ed psych both say the same realistically dd won't get any effective or useful therapy until she hits adult services or until she no longer copes in mainstream and I get her into independent specialist school like I did with her brother.
For now though home and school are doing the best they can I suppose to keep dd where she wants to be.

She won't need to be assessed for extra time as she has a statement and it's her usual way of working in school. If you have evidence of her underlying difficulties e.g. a note from CAMHS, that can go on file as well.

The SENCO needs to write a file note which explains why she needs the extra time alongside evidence of your dd's usual way of working/history of need.

Would rest breaks help? If the TA is currently setting her down after seeing something triggering then that could be seen as a rest break.

Have a look at the JCQ regulations. There is a maximum allowance that can be made by the exam board to meet the needs of a particular pupil or exam candidate. So there is a maximum amount of extra time that can be given etc. and there may be also be allowances(in terms of marks added on) made for specific medical (including pyschological) conditions that are known in advance.
A PP is correct in that candidates with scribes will be in separate rooms but there are very strict guidelines (stipulated by the exam board) about what scribes, exam invigilators etc are allowed to do in the exam room and reading the paper in advance is not allowed. Exam invigilators (or scribes) are not allowed to direct candidates as to which questions they should answer etc.
The other problem is that the format of GCSE exams is changing. For subjects such as English Lit there is usually a choice of set texts that pupils can study. At dds school different sets read different texts so hopefully your dds needs could be adapted for in advance.

Yes school have already put dd in the group that will be studying more appropriate texts for English. They do tweak an awful lot and I make sure they know I appreciate that it makes teachers extra work in planning and marking.If I knew that SENCo was communicating with exam boards and some consideration was being given to Science next year then it would be pretty perfect tbh since ed psych's guidance has been taken on board.

I am wondering whether it may also help OP to have a word with subject teachers for the GCSEs that she intends to take. Perhaps it may be possible for her to choose a different exam board (or syllabus) to try to minimise the risks as far as possible before she starts the course. This could be more effective than modifications made on the day of the exam.
For RE for example it could be possible to study a different religion to other pupils. For Science, if experiments are a problem, taking the iGCSE may help as they don't have to complete a portfolio of experimental work. The iGCSEs are a bit more traditional and don't tend to have the "apply this to everyday human life" type questions that could cause your dd a problem.

Why don't you get her therapy privately? If necessary see if a charity (eg. Rotary) will fund it if you cannot.