Special Educational Needs
Access Arrangements – WMG Academy for Young Engineers
Access Arrangements allow candidates with special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to access the assessment and show what they know and can do without changing the demands of the assessment.
These procedures are designed to help students with genuine needs to access exams. The awarding of Access Arrangements is governed by strict regulations as set out by the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications, see:
https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special-consideration
Who can get exam access arrangements?
Exam arrangements can only be granted if they are a student’s ‘normal way of working’ and the candidate has a history of need. Any arrangements made must reflect the support that the candidate has had in the past few years, alongside their assessment test results.
How is a young person identified as needing Access Arrangements?
The process begins when a student is flags as experiencing persistent difficulties. Identification originates from one of three sources
- Teacher Observations: Class teachers notice a student is significantly slower at completing tasks, has poor reading comprehension, or struggles with legibility compared to peers.
- Transition Data: The SENCo reviews data passed down from primary school or previous educational settings.
- Medical / Specialist Disclosures: Parents supply a diagnostic report (e.g., ADHD, Autism, physical disability).
Note that a formal diagnosis alone does not automatically entitle a student to EAA; it must actively impact their ability to access exams.
Before an application for access arrangements takes place, evidence that this the normal way of working within the school must be gathered such as through classwork, mock exams and class tests. The SENCo then determines what would be the most appropriate arrangement, if any. Some of these arrangements require a specialist formal assessment before they can be granted.
Student Support and SEN Information
The SEND Code of Practice states:
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability, which calls for special educational provision to be made, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to students of the same age.
Some aims of our policy and practice in relation to special educational need and disability in this school are:
- As a 14-19 academy, to support students to become more independent in their learning as they approach adult life, in line with our unique ‘business-like, business-led’ ethos
- To make reasonable adjustments for those with a disability by taking action to increase access to the curriculum and the environment
- To ensure that children and young people with SEN engage in the activities of the school alongside learners who do not have SEN
- To use our best endeavours to secure special educational provision for learners for whom this is required, that is “additional to and different from” that provided within the differentiated curriculum, to better respond to the four broad areas of need:
- Communication and interaction
- Cognition and learning
- Social, mental and emotional health
- Sensory/physical.
- To support learners with medical conditions to achieve full inclusion in all school activities by ensuring consultation with health and social care professionals to meet the medical needs of learners.
What kinds of special educational needs does WMG Academy make provision for?
WMG Academy is a University Technology College (14-19). We have provision to meet the needs of students with moderate and specific cognition and learning difficulties, learners with communication and interaction difficulties (including students with Autism Spectrum Conditions), young people experiencing social, emotional, and mental health difficulties and learners with sensory and/or physical difficulties.
It should be noted, however, that WMG Academy does not have enhanced or specialist provision for any specific area of special educational need.
Who should I contact if I have concerns about my child’s progress at school?
In the first instance, if you are concerned about your child, please contact his/her form tutor. Our telephone number is 0121 289 3556. Alternatively, email [email protected] marked with your child’s name and staff tutor in the subject box.
Your child’s teacher or tutor can consult the SENCO at any point and will discuss with you whether a referral is appropriate.