Access arrangements for A level

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Does anyone know of there is a deadline for applying for these. My eldest has a health issue that has declined and he could do with a specific bit of equipment but his college said the deadline passed. (Doesn't need extra time)

Also my son says if you have anything different they make you sit in a different room, but he needs the atmosphere of the exam hall to get in the zone. Is that right?

Yes, you are usually in a different room if you need a laptop, breaks and/or extra time, for obvious reasons.

It would actually be a chair so it wouldn't disturb anyone but I don't know if rules just mean any adjustment.

Right. A special chair isn't a problem and won't disturb other students.

Deadline is 1st March I think.

Ooh that's hopeful!

It sounds like what he needs might be achievable.

If just a chair they should be able to designate a desk to set up in the exam hall.

Yes, it doesn't sound like a problem.

Thanks all. I will contact them tomorrow to get this sorted as it seems like we haven't missed the deadline and he can be in the hall.

I had a look on the JCQ website and it's actually 21st March but of course schools need some turnaround time.

Mention JCQ access arrangements deadline if necessary.

Thank you. That's really helpful.

It's a big school so perhaps they had an early unofficial deadline to try get people to think about it earlier.

It's just my sons condition deteriorated so we didn't really get our ducks in a row.

Is the adjustment his usual way of working? Most arrangements have to be the student’s normal way of working.

However, you said that the health issue has declined, so if that’s recent, it might be possible to apply for a recent deterioration.

In the dim and distant past, when hard copies of reports had to be sent to exam boards, I remember spending February half term in school, photocopying and collating everything, so you need to ask the school quickly.

This sounds more like a reasonable adjustment for his disability. Is it a chair he will need to use throughout seated parts of lessons in general? Contact the senco to discuss.

Im sorry his condition has deteriorated and hope you’re able to get all the support the family need.

If it's just a different chair, I can't see why that has to go to the exam board anyway. They specify how far apart candidates must be seated, and there might be some stipulation about the size of desk, but I don't remember any rules on chairs.

You won't need access arrangements for a chair. Just negotiate with the school.

Just to feedback the school have said that are going to find out what they can do within the rules and hopefully this will be ok

We've also discussed repeating the year as he might be in too much pain to sit the exams anyway.

Dear OP,
Seems to me the school are making a mountain out of a molehill. There should be no need for the school to contact the exam board about a different chair. In terms of timing, my daughter had a nasty flare up of a chronic pain issue about a week before A-level exams started. School applied to the exam board for her to have additional movement/rest breaks and to use a TENS machine. This was approved before the exam were started. If the issue is stable and known well before exams then of course there should be a reasonable deadline. If a new issue arises or a worsening of an existing condition then there are processes to support urgent adjustments.

I have known of a student who had input from a specialist service in April of their GCSE year stating that they required rest breaks in addition to their 25% extra time. I contacted our exam board about how this would impact their Music GCSE as that's what I taught them, and the subject officer emailed by return with appropriate and straightforward guidance. I forwarded this to the Exams Officer and also spoke to the student and one of their parents about it.

The single exam comprised a CD which played excerpts a set number of times with gaps between the playings. I needed to know how this would work. The extra 25% is added to the gaps, so a "normal" student would get 30 seconds, but someone needing extra time gets 37.5 seconds. The student in question and their invigilator were told they could only use Pause and Play for the rest breaks, and during the rest breaks, the paper had to be turned over. Because it came through so late, we weren't able to do a mock exam, but a very experienced (and kind) invigilator took charge and all went well.

Thank you for this. I am interested to hear a tens was allowed as this would be a good shout. I didn't even think of it

I think the school are wanting to help, but maybe didn't know the answer.