Chromebook for exams

[Rebus1]

My Y11 DD has told me her English teacher is seeing if she can use a chromebook for GCSE exams as she writes 'so slowly.'

Is this a common thing? I thought this was for pupils with SEN only. I thought if her teacher suspected some kind of SEN they would have discussed this with us. I want to email the teacher to find out what her concerns are but not sure how to phrase the email. DD academically able and predicted 6-8 in all her subjects so not sure what SEN it could be except dyslexia maybe.

Yes, writing slowly would be a reason to use a laptop in exams. Your DD will have to start using it in all lessons, though, as the SENCO needs to be able to prove to the exam board that it is her normal way of working.

Just send a pleasant email enquiring whether what your DD has told you is accurate.

Thanks, I hadn't realised she was writing significantly slower than others. She's a speedy typist though (well, on her phone!)

Also would the the spell check / grammar check be disabled? Surely that would give her an advantage and I assumed that SPAG was marked in most exams.

Yes I think they disable spell check. Mine are on laptops due to hypermobility and pain. Getting an appropriate adaptation is just ensuring that they get the mark that they would have got if they weren't disadvantaged. If she would normally get an 8 but due to her slow handwriting would only have time to get a 6 then that is why the school wants to even the playing field.

She's predicted 6 in English, maybe her latest work isn't up to that standard so that's why the teacher is concerned. I would have expected an email to us as well though.

I'm concerned as well now, she's applying to sixth form colleges that want A Level students to have 6-9 grades across the board and if not push them to BTECs instead. Nothing wrong with that but not what DD wants to do.

I have just spoken to her and she has got really annoyed about the idea of me emailing her English teacher. Don't know whether to email anyway or wait a few weeks to see if I hear from school.

@Rebus1

I have just spoken to her and she has got really annoyed about the idea of me emailing her English teacher. Don't know whether to email anyway or wait a few weeks to see if I hear from school.

All the more reason to email..!

It's perfectly normal if students have a noticeably slow writing speed. It would be the senco you'd need to contact though - the English teacher might have flagged it but the senco would be the one making it happen.

Thanks, I've emailed and copied her tutor in, all the emails to school go through a central system so don't have the SENCO's email. Hopefully will get things clarified soon.

Ds was initially very reluctant to use a laptop for exams (slow and almost illegible writing) - he didn't want to be seen as different or sit at the front. Once he used one though he realised it actually wasn't that bad after all and ended up asking his sixth form college to assess him for laptop use at A level too.

Sorry meant to say he didn't want me to agree to the assessment but I told him tough, and the SENCO dragged him out of a lesson to do it so he had no choice.

The spelling and grammar check will indeed be disabled. Speaking as an examiner, tell your daughter to use size 12 font & double spacing to make it easier to mark.

Don't worry about A levels and BTechs. If using a laptop will enable your DD to write more & potentially gain more marks, that's a good thing!