Who is responsible for approving SEND requests?

Modified on Tue, 7 Oct at 8:34 AM

Each senior school is responsible for checking the SEND requests for applicants. The senior school will need to check both the description of the access arrangements and whether extra time is required.

If the senior school agrees that 25% extra time should be added to the tests, then no further action is required. The 25% extra time will be built into the applicant record so that when they log in to the tests, it is automatically applied.

If the senior school does not agree with the request for 25% extra time (or any other access arrangement), they will need to begin an appeal process by first contacting the guardian to discuss the access arrangements.

If there is a situation where more than one senior school has been applied to, and there is disagreement between the schools on the SEND status, ISEB will mediate between the schools to find the best solution for the pupil.

Reasonable adjustments should be provided to any candidate who is considered disabled for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.

The JCQ guidelines are specific to a range of examinations and not the Common Pre-Test. Allowing extra time in this assessment will not give automatic rights to the candidate to have extra time for their GCSE examinations. For schools which would like to make this position clear to parents we have suggested the use of a signed pro-forma which is shared with senior schools and kept on the candidate's file.

Restricting access to extra time for candidates who have appropriate professional evidence indicating that they require additional time to access the assessment could place them at a substantial disadvantage. Schools should therefore consider each request carefully and, where supported by evidence and consistent with the candidate’s normal way of working, provide reasonable adjustments. Failure to do so may amount to discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, as independent schools must not disadvantage a person in the arrangements they make for deciding who is offered admission.