Access Arrangements
Access Arrangements at Priory Belvoir
All access arrangements must conform to the Joint Council for Qualification specifications in order for the centre to avoid malpractice. All access arrangements are founded strictly upon evidence that the arrangement is typical to the student's normal way of working and supported by professional assessment. In accordance with the JCQ guidance, our approach at Belvoir is as follows:
Testing
Formal psychometric testing for access arrangements is offered from Year 9 onward to ensure tests are still valid for the examination period. Psychometric tests conducted earlier than this, such as during SATS at primary school, will need to be updated for this reason. All students on the SEN register or who have been identified as accessing additional time or a reader during their KS3 examinations will require assessment unless they have an official diagnosis.
Key Stage Three
At Key Stage Three, all students are entitled to extra time and the use of a reader. These access arrangements are implicit within exams both in the classroom and the hall. Exams at Belvoir are 50 minutes long to account for extra time. Students who require a reader must raise their hand to request a sentence or question to be read to them- this is the protocol to which they must be accustomed for their GCSE's according to JCQ guidelines. Key stage three offers an excellent opportunity for the school to build a wealth of evidence that a particular access arrangement is a student's 'normal way of working'.
Key Stage Four
At Key Stage Four, only students who qualify for access arrangements will have access to these for their examinations. Students must ensure they choose to use their access arrangement in order for the school to support this as their normal way of working. If a student repeatedly does not use their access arrangement, this will no longer be in place for their GCSE examinations. Parents and students are sent frequent reminders of this stipulation within JCQ guidance at appropriate points throughout the school year.
JCQ Guidance
The JCQ guidance on evidence for specific access arrangements can be found here: