reassessment for extra time etc

[pollyglot1]

Just about had enough - ds has dyslexia and dyspraxia diagnosed, uses WP and has extra time in exams. Academy insists they do GCSE starting in Yr 9, DS has exam tomorrow. Few weeks ago DS told me he was being tested by SEN dept next day, didn't know why. I emailed academy for details, and asking if I could be routinely informed of tests instead of finding out night before.
Snotty email back about having to retest all SEN kids so cant possibly inform every parent. Letter arrived today saying he can still use computer but no extra time. Night before GCSE, DS distraught because this is a big change for him (hates change) and he is scared of failing. On top of that he can't find his hw diary - looked for it last night and tonight, if he doesn't have it tomorrow he will be put in isolation unit (which they call inclusion care and support unit!) for 2 days, with hour detention each day on top, ie finishing at 5.30.

No idea if extra time changes apply immediately, no idea why its been taken away other than some computer test he did says so.

Just posting because I feel so miserable about it all :(

I really feel for your son my DS also has a laptop and gets extra time. Laptop for organising his thoughts correctly and to have the ability to edit those ever present mistakes. The extra time for the slower reading and processing. Surely it's the Ed Psych who has to decide if the processing speed is slow enough (although it should be obvious that if he's getting it for school exams it should follow through). Extra time gives my DS just enough time to check over and finish up in the same position as others without dyslexia, same as your son I expect. Did the school remember to apply for both? Yr 9 seems ridiculously early for Gcses, they were never meant for 13/14 yr olds were they? Luckily for us they are not pushed in that way at my DS's school.
You need to question what's going on. Can see myself in your position next year , sigh, it really isn't easy for them is it?

Thank you for your post, had a really bad day today because woke up crying in the night and then got to work and couldnt stop crying, so am going to GP this pm as I think I am really getting depressed.

The academy are using a computer test approved by jcq to assess speeds - Lucid Exact software. Doesnt have to be Ed Psych to decide. This is due to a change in guidelines since Sept 2011. I rang jcq to say that his extra time had been withdrawn overnight (school have confirmed that to me today) and they have asked me to write to them so they can look into it as that was not what was meant to happen. He had extra time in Jan, therefore he should have it for the rest of the year. They also said the school should apply for special consideration for todays exam because he was so stressed about having the time taken away, so the circumstances werent normal.

And I agree about it being too early for GCSEs anyway, but the academy decides that not the parents.

Anyway, do look into these guidelines so that you understand what is happening if they are applied to your son, hopefully your school is better at communicating with parents!!

Hope you feeling better today.
I believe you have a v good case for complaint. To change you DS accommodations at this stage is clear discrimination.
Had a look at the JCQ site, the school seems to be doing what it thinks and not what's best for your child. If its norm for him to get extra time for years they can't just withdraw it last minute. Keep at them put it in writing.

*Official complaint ie

Polly, really feel for you as Ds similarly uses laptop and needs extra time. He, also yr 9 but not taking gcses, was retested recently by the head of sen. He was vv anxious about it and would have been completely distraught had all this change been foisted on him at the last minute just before public exams.

If you are making a complaint, ensure that all the right people are copied in, sen crew, head of year, head , chair, head of pastoral support.

It seems against the school's best interest to behave like this. They want their students to do well, not frighten them so they won't.

And of course they could have let you know. They must have an email list of parents, it's hardly hard to put a category called sen dx and sort by that and by year. Honestly. It sounds like they forgot until the last moment and then panicked both themselves and the young people.

On phone do can't do emoticons but sending you hugs, flowers, a nice cup of tea and glass of wine and a machine gun.

Hi, thanks for all kind words - since I last wrote ....

When DS came home after exam he told me the SENCO had told him before exam that on this occasion he could have the extra time because it was short notice to take it away, then 5 mins before end of exam another teacher told him he wasnt entitled to extra time and he had to stop after the 5 mins. In addition they had disabled the spell check and given him a program he had never used before.

The next day they made him re-do the extra time test because they think there may have been a mistake with the first one, and they told him they would send methe results but nothing has come to me yet.

I rang on Friday to ask for complaints procedure, rang again today and it turns out I have to have an informal chat with member of Senior Leadership team who will ring me.

I have been looking on the internet and it seems there is quite a lot of anxiety about the way extra time is being handled, so maybe we are not the only ones.

TBH there are a lot of issues with DS school, and it is not the easiest place to communicate with. We are trying to sort it out because he has 3 more GCSEs in June.

Gosh this sounds terrible. I feel really sorry for your ds.

If it was me I would be emailing the school not phoning them, then you have an accurate record of what has been said. I would email the head of year/SENCO or anyone else you can get the email address of and ask for an explanation of what is going on by return email. I would also request and ask for the complaints procedure to be emailed to you.

I have recently had my son diagnosed as dyslexic (primary) and I have directly emailed the head with my concerns & included a copy of his diagnostic assessment asking her to personally give a copy to the SENCO and his teacher. I managed to get him extra time in his SATS with only days notice using this method. When I spoke to the Head I was told it was too late so I emailed the Standards Testing Agency and forwarded their reply to the Head requesting she make a late application. If she hadn't done this I would have used all the evidence in the emails to complain.

I really hope you sort something out for your son but you do need a record of what is said, I definitely wouldn't have an informal chat about it with anyone. I would want a minuted meeting or written responses.

Good luck x