Fears have been raised that some GCSE students have unfairly received extra time in their exams under rules designed for SEN children.
Exams watchdog Ofqual is concerned about a 12 per cent increase in approved requests for extra time since 2009/10 and has written to exams officers to clarify what is allowed.
Special access arrangements are designed for students with special needs or disabilities and usually allow up to 25 per cent more time to complete the exam, or other concessions such as the use of a reader or a scribe.
In the last academic year, around 237,000 requests for special access arrangements were granted. This included 123,200 requests for extra time, which is a 12 per cent rise from 2009/10 when there were 109,800 approved requests.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here