Changes re Access Arrangements Process

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR
All those involved in Assessing SpLD Students for Access Arrangements
The JCQ has advised a new process relating to specialist teachers assessing for Access Arrangements. By 15 July 2007 each centre will have to have submitted a Form 8A designating the specialist teachers who assess their candidates for access arrangements. [nb From September there is an on-line tool Centres can use to review and update their list of assessors]

The JCQ had two principle aims in revising their guidance.
1. To make the Head of the Centre responsible for the quality of the access arrangements process, as he or she would be for the teaching in any other department.
2. To permit the following categories of specialists to be able to conduct assessments of their relevant cohorts.
• teachers of the Deaf
• teachers who had long experience in special schools dealing with moderate learning difficulties
• teachers who had qualifications which were no longer being offered by a particular institution

The knowledge and skills necessary to assess SpLD students remain the same.

The JCQ clearly states that
• The rigour of the testing of candidates must be maintained.
• The quality of the reports must be such that all the required evidence is provided to justify the request being made.
• Arrangements must be requested only for those with genuine and diagnosed needs which reflect their normal way of working within the centre.

In order to maintain the quality of the process and the justification for making arrangements, Heads of Centre are asked to take responsibility for delegating this task to a teacher whose qualifications and experience are fit for purpose.

The following is based on supplementary advice from the JCQ.

The main aim is to make the Head of the Centre responsible for the quality of the access arrangements process, as he or she would be for the teaching in any other department. This means that there should be very few people involved in each centre.

Awarding bodies want to see the minimum number of forms arriving after 15 July 2007 deadline and the desire is to ensure the minimum number of persons involved in the assessment of candidates for access arrangements. A head should therefore ideally submit one form per academic year, unless a teacher leaves and is replaced. The awarding bodies do not want to see multiple forms coming in.

The person doing the assessment should be primarily one or possibly two named teachers employed in the centre who are suitably qualified. The second choice is a suitably qualified teacher employed at another centre. The third choice would be the LEA Psychologist and the fourth choice a private Psychologist. Most centres should be able to submit their own reports in this way. If a centre is employing the services of a suitably qualified teacher who does not teach in the centre, they will have to list that person on Form 8A as contracted to work for them.

Fewer outside agencies should be involved in the process, especially those who employ people who are neither teachers nor psychologists. Additionally there is a desire for the head of centre to take a holistic approach so that s/he is more aware of the access arrangements process as it is the centre which educates the candidate, makes sure that the curriculum is delivered in an appropriate way and that the candidate is assessed for access arrangements and the necessary provisions met.

There should be no change for those who are teaching in centres, where they currently write reports. A Head may find that his staff do not have enough time to assess a large number of candidates and enlist extra help from a suitably qualified teacher who has already worked for the centre in this capacity. However, he should select his own little band of assessors and stick to them for the year.

If a specialist teacher regularly assesses for a number of centres s/he should ensure that each centre has a note of their specialist SpLD qualifications and that the centre includes them on the Form 8A they submit by 15 July this year, as a specialist teacher contracted to work for them.

Note the focus is on the centre, and it is the centre’s responsibility to see that those assessing for them are notified to the awarding bodies. If awarding bodies do not have the centre’s authorisation to accept a report, that report will be rejected, so centres must be more responsible for the outside help they engage.
Where a centre requires the use of an assessor part way through the year, then the most appropriate way forward would be for the centre to attach to Form 8 an explanatory letter signed by the Head of Centre which confirms that the nominated person meets their approval and that s/he meets the criteria as established by the JCQ. However, this should be an exception rather than the norm and should only arise, say for example, where a centre has had a change of personnel part way through the year.

Patoss, along with the BDA, feel that there must be clear guidance for Heads of Centres on which to rely to assure that assessors have the requisite knowledge and skills. There currently is in place a whole body of training provision, accreditation and certification of SpLD assessment standards. Overseen by the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee [SASC] this is supported by the DfES, Patoss, BDA, Dyslexia Action, HADC, BPS and numerous training providers. SpLD Assessment Practising Certificates are supported by the codes of ethics of their issuing bodies and a personal commitment on the part of each APC holder to continuing professional development.

Therefore Patoss recommends that a Head of Centre wishing to determine if a Specialist Teacher is suitably qualified to assess SpLD students for access arrangements should regard the following as the order of priority in looking at their qualifications:
1. Holds a current SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate issued by either Patoss or Dyslexia Action, OR
2. Holds a qualification accredited by the BDA as meeting AMBDA requirements; OR
3. Holds a qualification listed on the JCQ website.

We must make it clear that the JCQ does not require SpLD assessors to hold an SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate. However, Patoss considers it a model of good practice.

NOTE: Form 8A can be downloaded from the JCQ website.