Marking the work of a child with dyslexia

[LionAndEmperor13]

So my son (11, y7) has just started secondary. He has sever dyslexia, diagnosed when he was 9. He had a (written) Spanish test and scored very low. Fair enough, he probably didn't do much revision, but it was a basic vocab test and I thought he'd get a few more.
When I asked him about the test paper and if I could see it, he said he gave it to another child in the class to mark (as instructed by the teacher).
Is this standard practice?
I would have thought an adult, who is aware of his dyslexia, should be marking his work.
Not sure if I'm over-reacting, but a random child from the class might easily see a word with a reversed letter, or single consonant rather than double, and mark the whole question as wrong.
(NB it was a vocabulary test, not a spelling test).

Peer marking is common, yes.

In MFL at DS2’s secondary, vocab had to be spelt correctly in order to be marked correct in vocab tests.

thank you. But surely if it's a vocab test, a reasonable adjustment for someone with dyslexia would be maybe to do the test orally, rather than written? As otherwise it basically becomes a spelling test, just in a different language?

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be seen as a reasonable adjustment. Usually exams and tests in secondary follow JCQ’s exam access arrangement guidance. That is because exam access arrangements have to be the child’s normal way of working and it is a good way of collecting evidence and seeing who needs what. MFL GCSEs take into account spelling (split into major and minor errors depending on things such as if the meaning/tense is changed or not) and JCQ’s guidance does not allow e.g. spell check enabled or a scribe without the pupil dictating each letter for MFL exams.

It is worth reading JCQ’s guidance so you know what type of adjustments can be made for different subjects.

thanks - but if this is following his normal way of working, he should have been given a laptop, and extra time. And if we're following the JCQ exam access arrangements then why is a random child marking the test instead of a qualified adult?

If DS normally uses a laptop, he should have been using that for the test. Similarly, if extra time was needed (not all that need extra time in a longer exam would need it in a vocab test) then that should have been catered for, too.

Peer marking is completing separate to EAA.

I think there's a bit of confusion about peer marking as a technique in class. It's not usually to assess progress or ability; it's a teaching method. It's so pupils can learn from each others successes and mistakes, as well as their own. It's also an extra chance for them to engage with the material - they have to listen to the vocab and spelling to mark the test.

If your son uses a laptop then he should have used a laptop. But I'd only raise this if your son felt upset by the peer marking process - and it doesn't sound like he did?

Not sure why you think it doesn't sound like he was upset - he was extremely upset, in floods of tears when I picked him up. He was embarrassed that the other child knew his mark (2 out of 30), and he was ashamed at the low mark.
He used a laptop at primary but as he's only just gone up to secondary, it's taken ages for them to sort out getting him a laptop to use, so he's checked one out so far for English, but hasn't actually used it in Spanish yet. However the teacher should know from his pupil passport that using a laptop is his normal way of working.

Have you spoken to/chased the SENCO? It sounds like the vocab test is the tip of the iceberg and DS needs more support all round. Other than using a laptop what support is DS receiving/on his pupil passport? Does he have an EHCP?

I thought it didn't sound like he was upset because your original post only mentioned your surprise around his low score, and nothing about his response - which actually seems to be the bigger issue around whether his SEN could have been better accommodated. I'm sorry he was so upset.

When I said he should have used a laptop, I meant he should have one to use - I didn't mean to sound like I was putting responsibility on him. Definitely speak to the SENCO. Perhaps the Spanish teacher could adjust the testing for him, or have a mark system that credits knowledge and correct spelling separately.

thanks, yes I have emailed the SENCO. We've had one meeting so far this term and am still figuring out what support he'll be getting. The SENCO is sitting in on some of his lessons (sadly not this one).

Thanks, yes there are laptops available, but each time he needs it he needs to go to the library and check it out (and then back in again after the lesson), so he doesn't have it with him at all times.
As it's a new school we're still figuring things out, but it feels like a battle already, especially as there are so many teachers to deal with, compared to just 1 class teacher at primary. There are so many things that I feel I should need to pre-empt, but I'm not necessarily aware of them, plus I don't want to come across as a demanding, over-bearing parent from day 1.

Chase the SENCO again. The school needs to be providing support now. Encourage DS to go and get a laptop each time he needs one. You should also consider requesting an EHCNA.

If he has severe dyslexia, do they have any scheme whereby he can be excused doing an MFL and do additional English instead?
Or just be excused the MFL?

I'm happy with him learning Spanish, especially as it's a straightforward phonetic language, unlike English, so he's unlikely to have the same challenges with spelling.
It's the lack of differentiated learning that I have an issue with, as well as the peer marking. The test involved translating words from English to Spanish and also from Spanish to English. In both situations he would have benefitted from the use of a laptop, extra time, and having his work marked by a teacher.

How did he revise for the test?

Unfortunately MFL is often far worse for dyslexic children than English as they have to spell correctly.

Peer marking is also very normal and in our experience you never get proper access adjustments outside formal end of year exams or public exams. I believe some schools do manage it - but I haven't come across it in practice.

DD tried 3 different ones and ultimately it was agreed to drop languages completely. However, she does really well on Duolingo learning languages orally and is interested to see if it's better with something like Korean or Chinese that has symbols rather than letters.

With the laptop, I would seriously recommend looking into funding one yourself or via a charity. It makes a massive difference having their own device (ipads with keyboard cases are lighter weight, less obtrusive and work out cheaper).

My DD uses a laptop so I got her a lightweight Samsung tablet with a long battery life to use in year 7.

She has an EHCP but I didn't want to wait around and see if/when school would get round to providing one.

I do have to get involved with keeping it charged, making sure the camera is deactivated and emailing classwork and tests to subject teachers.

So it has pros and cons.

I would recommend being polite and persistent to get him support and to stop worrying about being "that parent".

thanks - I suggested at the beginning of the year that we could provide a laptop but it's not allowed, due to safeguarding issues, accessing the internet etc. Which is really annoying!!
I have recently signed him up for Duolingo and he's doing really well with it.
Thanks for everyone's advice, I really appreciate it.

That's ridiculous (ie the school's position is ridiculous).
You could provide a laptop and the school's IT department could put restrictions on as needed (or advise you on how to do it).
Lots of dyslexic students use laptops in schools.

I second @TeenToTwenties’s post. The school is fobbing you off.

Also agree it's completely ridiculous. They don't even need to connect to the internet.

DD has her ipad as much for her hypermobile fingers - which make writing by hand extremely painful and difficult - as for her dyslexia. What would your school do in that situation? She's used that since primary.

Thousands of children use laptops everyday in school and for exams. In order to get the use for exams it also has to be their normal way of working, so your school are actually creating massive disadvantage for their students.

I would just send him in with one and be prepared to have a big fight with school on it.

I think the issue is if they have laptops available to check out every lesson then that is a reasonable substitute at least in the short term.

DD's school has no such resources except for 6th form.

It would only be reasonable if the child could get and use a laptop for every lesson. It wouldn’t be reasonable if, for example, the laptop could only be signed out for a lesson at a time and the pupil’s anxiety prevented them from picking up and dropping off at the start/end of each lesson rather than being picked up in the morning and taken to all lessons that day or even taking the laptop home. Or if the place to get the laptops took 5 minutes to get to/from at the start/end of each lesson thus missing so much lesson time.

The problem with school laptops is that often they aren't charged or are faulty, the child can't store work on them so needs internet access and children are put off using them if they are constantly late due to collecting/returning. This is even more of an issue if the child has co-morbid ADHD and executive function is challenged.

If they have their own device, internet access isn't needed in the same way, they are responsible for making sure it works and is charged.

In my reasonably extensive experience of this students need to be 16 to have that responsibility. A non charged laptop is an expensive paperweight!

My 11 year old is managing because I'm essentially organising her and she used a laptop throughout Junior school years.