Been told need an EHCP to get extra time for SATs

[olololpk]

Is this right? It doesn’t seem likely to me? Son is AuADHD and could really do with extra for his maths paper as it’s a topic he really struggles to focus on, (dislikes it, struggles with it, so disengages much more than other subjects) he is medicated. Teacher has told us they looked into and as he doesn’t have an EHCP he’s not eligible, is it really as black and white as that?

You can see the KS2 access arrangement guidance here. Those with EHCPs automatically qualify for extra time with SATs (which is different to e.g. GCSEs). But it is possible to get extra time for other reasons. The school could also consider a prompter.

Thank you, literally found it via ChatGPT after posting this. I kind of got the impression the school wasn’t keen to apply, I don’t understand why if it would help him to do better (he’s on the cusp of extended).

Nope. They might not be intentionally lying, as a lot of teachers and even sencos and SLT don't understand the rules.

https://www.theschoolrun.com/access-arrangements-primary-school-sats is a parents guide and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-tests-access-arrangements/2025-key-stage-2-access-arrangements-guidance is the official guidance for schools.

The relevant text from the guidance is here (feel free not to read it all!):

Additional time to complete the tests may be appropriate for other pupils who:

• require additional time under test conditions to properly demonstrate their knowledge and understanding; this may include pupils who are unable to work at the same speed as their peers due to a specific need
• are waiting for confirmation of an EHC plan

These pupils do not automatically qualify for additional time, so schools should make an application for additional time in these circumstances.

Schools should consider whether supervised rest breaks during the tests would be more beneficial to pupils than additional time.

Applying for additional time – Monday 10 February to Thursday 17 April
A teacher with an understanding of the pupil’s needs should make the application. Reports from educational psychologists or other education professionals are not required. This is because pupils who do not hold a report may still be eligible for additional time. Where a report is already in place, the teacher can use it to inform their responses about the pupil.

Schools will need to respond to each of the following 7 questions about the pupil. These questions draw on the teacher’s assessment of the pupil’s abilities or needs and do not relate to a specific diagnosis or condition. Schools should think carefully about the questions and how they relate to the pupil and must have evidence to justify their responses to the application questions in case they receive a monitoring visit or maladministration investigation.

1. Can the pupil understand and respond appropriately to a simple request or instruction given in English, without being prompted or aided by an interpreter or translator?
2. Does the pupil have a hearing impairment that prevents them from being able to respond appropriately to a simple question or instruction given in English, without being prompted or aided by a communicator, sign language interpreter or having to lip-read?
3. Does the pupil need braille and/or enlarged print in order to read and understand text?
4. Can the pupil focus on a task, which requires them to work independently and without interruption, for at least 15 minutes without being prompted to stay on task?
5. Is the pupil prevented from being able to write independently at a speed of more than 10 words per minute by a physical, motor skill or learning disability?
6. Can the pupil read age-appropriate texts aloud and fluently without making errors, or with very few errors?
7. Does the pupil have difficulty processing information, which prevents them from being able to answer questions on practice key stage 2 tests, even when they are allowed to refer back to the questions?

Based on the responses to the questions in the application, STA may decide the pupil qualifies for up to 25% additional time.

(End of painfully long copy and paste - sorry!)

A few thoughts:

• You can't get extra time for one subject only
• You shouldn't get extra time for struggling to focus only. Rest breaks would be more appropriate. So for example an adult could pause the clock for him every 10 questions and give him a break from the test (could be a walk, or 2 minutes with a fidget toy, jumping on a trampoline - whatever works for DS)
• You should ask the school if they have considered the 7 questions above in relation to DS. You should do this before Easter break as they need to apply soon after.
• If rest breaks are a better solution, the school do not need to apply for them.

Thanks so much that’s really helpful. It’s question 4 that is most applicable, she did mention rest breaks but again they didn’t seem very keen on that (I think it might be a logistical issue due to the size of the school). He will be separate with a TA though. It really is just maths he struggles with, very much a dopamine ADHD thing! It’s the arithmetic test I worry about mostly, and he gets quite anxious which I thought extra time might help. Maybe rest breaks are the best options, but he’s only recently medicated so maybe it all seems less necessary to them now.

I will ask them to review again then, politely, on the basis we were told it was due to the lack of EHCP.

That seems like a good plan. It's good that he has his own space and an adult. That would make rest breaks much more possible. It's not like he wouldn't have someone to supervise him, at least.

Not knowing your son I couldn't say whether either rest breaks or extra time would help, but it does sound like you need to politely double check that they have fully considered the guidelines in his case. I believe that some schools are so scared of being accused of malpractice that they err on the side of caution.

I've copied out the rest breaks guidance below 👇

Most pupils should be able to complete the tests without a break. However, supervised rest breaks may be appropriate for pupils who find it difficult to concentrate or experience fatigue. Rest breaks may also be beneficial to pupils using modified versions of the tests.

Schools must supervise pupils and keep them under test conditions during the rest break. There must be no contact with pupils who have taken the test and no opportunity to discuss test content.

Pupils using rest breaks should be given the same overall time as the rest of the cohort. Schools may want to split a test into sections for pupils who are known to need a rest break. If a school decides to split a test, they should:

• divide the test into sections, or plan when the pupil will have a break, during the hour before it is due to start
• keep the questions in the same order
• give the pupil an opportunity to attempt all parts of a paper, so that the outcome of the test accurately reflects their knowledge and understanding

For the English reading test, schools may want to consider stopping the test for a rest break once the pupil has completed each passage of text and answered the questions related to that text.

The test must be completed on the same day that it was started. Any partially completed tests must be sent for marking in the green panelled inner bags for modified test scripts.

That’s so helpful thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I will speak with the teacher.

Please don't rely on Chat GPT for important information. It makes things up and even invents references.

Really no need to talk to me like a child, I work in AI, I know how to use it responsibly. I used it to point me in the right direction, which was the guidance signposted in this thread, I then read the guidance directly.

I don’t think it is strictly true.

We were told by the teacher that our son might have extra-time for his SATS following an assessment they did in school for all pupils (something about processing speed).

He is not neuro-divergent (although we asked about possibility since DD was diagnosed in Y8) and doesn’t have an EHCP.

I am not sure about the assessment name and if all schools conduct this assessment.

if I find the name I’ll post it there.