Sixth form -- verbal reasoning test

[verbalreason]

DS is 15 and is applying for sixth forms. He is severely dyslexic (has a diagnosis from an educational psychologist) so he has 25% extra time in exams. He's also very bright -- he got a 9 in GCSE maths which he took a year early. He's applying for maths, further maths, physics and computer science.

One of our local sixth forms has recently changed its entrance criteria so that instead of predicted grades, they will use an entrance test -- maths aptitude and verbal reasoning.

This seems really off to me -- for my son, who will likely get a poor mark for verbal reasoning, but also for any arts/humanities applicants whose maths might be their weakest subject.

I know they've changed their policy because they were challenged over the perceived unfairness of relying on predicted grades from other schools... but this seems even more unfair.

Can I/should I challenge this?

If DS is given access arrangements, I don’t think you will be able to successfully challenge the admissions arrangements as long as they are otherwise compliant with the rules (which differ depending on what type of sixth form it is).

@prh47bridge will know more and hopefully doesn’t mind being tagged.

Thanks @BlueBrick for alerting me to this.

@verbalreason - is this a school sixth form or a sixth form college? The rules differ depending on which we are dealing with.

Thanks both. It’s a school sixth form.

School sixth forms have to follow the admissions code.

A school sixth form must comply with the Admissions Code. This allows sixth forms to have academic entry criteria for the sixth form provided they are the same for both internal and external applicants. However, I would question the fairness of using a maths aptitude test for all subjects, and using a verbal reasoning test appears to discriminate against at least some pupils with special educational needs such as your son unless they are taking adequate steps to allow for this. If they do not make any allowance for your son's dyslexia, that would be a breach of the Admissions Code in my view.

You can challenge this by referring the school's admission arrangements to the Schools Adjudicator. You can find out how to do so at School admission arrangements - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). You are late for raising an objection, which means it is up to the Adjudicator to decide whether to consider your objection.

Note that I'm not saying that the Adjudicator would decide in your favour, but I think it is worth trying. The Adjudicator would be able to take a look at the admission arrangements in full along with any submission by the school and decide whether they are in compliance with the Admissions Code.

using a verbal reasoning test appears to discriminate against at least some pupils with special educational needs such as your son unless they are taking adequate steps to allow for this.

@prh47bridge can I ask about ^^this please? Am I right in thinking giving the required access arrangements would be deemed enough? Otherwise would it not also be a problem where verbal reasoning is used for 11+ exams?

11+ tends to use non-verbal reasoning, which is better. But yes, if they give proper access arrangements, that is likely to be deemed enough (a little bit of caution there because the Schools Adjudicator sometimes makes surprising decisions!).

@prh47bridge thank you. Yes, not all 11+ exams use verbal reasoning, I was just meaning those that do.

@prh47bridge very interesting. Thanks very much. Internal candidates do not have to do the maths/VR test so it seems the school is in breach of the code again. I will challenge this but I see that I am very late for the May deadline. It’s a whole new world for me. I was only aware of these arrangements on going to the open evening in a few weeks ago. In previous years they’ve offered on the basis of predicted grades alone.

I sent in the form but they have replied saying I’m too late to object. Crap system!