Exam access arrangements for Dyslexia

[MandyMotherOfBrian]

Hoping someone with experience can advise me.
DD, now in Y13, is dyslexic, had a full assessment identifying SpLD dyslexia in 2019 (at the schools behest). The report recommended measures including up to 50% extra time, laptop, reader, individual invigilation amongst other things. All accepted by the SEN department at school, again they instigated the report and used a trusted assessor they have worked with many times before.
Since then DD has been using 25% extra time, a Reader, a laptop for music and (due to the reader) has separate invigilation. Just before (literally a couple of days) her end of year exams in Y12 last July, she was told by the SEN department she needed to use a reader pen (she’d never used or even seen one before) instead of having a reader. They said this was because she wouldn’t get a reader at university and so should get used to a reader pen as a ‘normal way of working’ now. She tried the pen and actually didn’t mind it and agreed to use it. However, when she walked in to the room for her end of year exams she didn’t have separate invigilation anymore - it was a room full of other SEN students - and so she couldn’t use the reader pen obviously as it reads out loud. The school apologised as this had been an error and they mitigated for it in the marking. But now she’s back in school in Y13 it’s clear that they consider the ‘error’ was that they didn’t tell her she no longer had separate invigilation and she needed to use headphones attached to the pen.
She’s is very much opposed to using headphones - the pen is fine - but the headphones it comes with are attached by wire and quite bulky. She finds that way too obtrusive and awkward to use whilst also trying to write. She does use Apple headphones in private but they’re small and wireless - that might be ok to use with the reader pen except the reader pen is incompatible with wireless headphones. She feels she will be disadvantaged if required to use them in this way.
Whilst I can see that the claim that Uni will not offer her current normal way of working may be valid, I can’t help but think this change is being pushed as it means the school no longer have to provide and pay for people to be A a Reader, and B a separate invigilator.
So, my question is, does she have any right to insist that she use the reader pen without headphones thus requiring a separate room and invigilator for her exams or does she just have to accept the changes the school is imposing?
Grateful for any help with this.

I'm afraid I can't help on the headphones issue, however DD could have a reader at university, and you don't need to have a reader to have separate invigilation. Neither do you need 2 separate people to be a reader and separate invigilator, the same person can be both when working 1:1.

As well as money I imagine the change to a reading pen is because the school don't need to apply for that arrangement, whereas they do for a reader of computer reader.

Have you spoken to the school's exams officer?

Here is JCQ's guidance. It specifically states a reading pen may increase independence in those who use a reader for accuracy rather than comprehension, which I imagine isn't the case for DD, so if a reader meets her needs in ways a reading pen doesn't you could focus on that.

Ok that’s good info thank you. I have spoken to the exam officer and the Sen dept but as I wasn’t entirely sure whether or not we were entitled to say the ways of working were not suitable, I didn’t really push too hard. I’ll be delving a bit further now. Thank you.

Yes, you can complain, although if the answer is still no I don't believe there is a way to appeal. Parents of DC with SEN sometimes have to be that parent, this one of those times.