Yes. The Equality Act 2010 ensures that local authorities and schools have a duty to not discriminate against disabled pupils in their access to education, and to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils in operating the admissions selection process.
KCC attest that they carry out this duty by granting “reasonable adjustments” (also known as access arrangements), ensuring that the Kent Test is accessible for all.
The Equality Act 2010 defines a person with a disability as having a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. For children, “normal day-to-day activities” includes the work they do in school.
Essentially, if your child has additional needs that are addressed in school via some kind of curriculum adaptations or special provisions, you can request that the school apply for similar provisions during the test.
As a result of an FOI request in 2015, KCC provided the guidance they supplied to schools, which outlines the kinds of arrangements that can be requested, and which pupils they might apply to:
- Adapting the test booklets for children with visual difficulties;
- Adapting the answer sheets for children with manual dexterity problems or visual difficulties (including colour blindness);
- Using coloured overlays or filters for children who have found benefit in this strategy in normal class sessions;
- Using an adult scribe to complete the answer sheet on the child’s behalf, for example if they have a motor disability or visual difficulties;
- Using an adult reader to read the instructions and question types (though not the questions themselves) for children with a current reading age much lower than their actual age;
- Using an adult prompter for children with severe attention difficulties, to ensure the child stays on task;
- Providing extra breaks (“stop the clock” breaks) during the tests for children with physical, motor or visual difficulties that increase fatigue, or conditions which impair concentration;
- Up to 25% extra time for the writing task for children with physical, motor or visual difficulties which affect their writing speed, or who have a specific learning difficulty which means they take longer to write;
- Using a word processor or laptop for the writing task for children with physical, motor or visual difficulties, or who have a specific learning difficulty that makes writing more difficult;
- In very rare cases, up to 25% extra time for other parts of the test for children with significant physical, motor or visual difficulties or significant specific learning difficulties;
- Other reasonable adjustments, provided there is supporting information and evidence from the headteacher and other professionals involved with the child.
Any reasonable adjustments must be applied for by the school, at the request of the parents. Parents themselves cannot apply for these arrangements, so it’s absolutely vital that you speak to your schools headteacher and/or SENDCO, early in Year 5. The school must complete forms and provide evidence that the special arrangements they are requesting permission for, are a part of your child’s everyday classroom practice, and have been used previously during tests. You may also provide reports from other professionals, provided the reports are no more than 18 months old.
You must discuss your child’s needs with their school’s headteacher or SENDCO before you register them to sit the test (which is usually during June of Year 5). Then, after you submit your form online to register your child for the test, you will be asked to send confirmation that you have discussed a request for access arrangements with the SENDCO. Schools usually need to submit their requests and evidence during June or July.
All requests for special access arrangements are dealt with individually and unfortunately not all requests are successful; they are granted at the discretion of a “Special Access Panel” once the request and the evidence has been submitted by the school.
The school will usually let you know once they hear the result of their request.
If the request for reasonable adjustments/special arrangements is declined, don’t lose hope. There is still an opportunity for headteachers to lodge an appeal for your child after the test, if they believe the results are not representative of their abilities. There is also the opportunity for parents to lodge an appeal for a grammar place after the school places have been allocated. For an outline of how these appeals work, see What happens after the Kent Test?
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