013 - Access to Fair Assessment Reasonable Adjustment Special Considerations Policy

1.Introduction

ThepurposeofthispolicyistoensurethatallassessmentmethodsusedarefairandmeetThink EmploymentLtd's(hereinaftertheCompany)Equality,DiversityandInclusionPolicy.

Reasonableadjustmentsareapprovedandsetinplacebeforetheassessmentactivitytakesplace; theyconstituteanarrangementtogivethelearneraccesstotheprogramme.Theuseofa reasonableadjustmentwillnotbetakenintoconsiderationduringtheassessmentofalearner’s work.

2.Definitionof‘reasonableadjustment’

Areasonableadjustmentisanyactionthathelpstoreducetheeffectofadisabilityordifficultythat placesthelearneratasubstantialdisadvantageintheassessmentsituation.Itismadetoan assessmentforaqualificationtoenableadisadvantagedlearnertodemonstratehisorher knowledge,skillsandunderstandingofthelevelsofattainmentrequiredbythespecificationforthat qualification.

Reasonableadjustmentsmustnotaffecttheintegrityofwhatneedstobeassessed,butmayinvolve:

changingusualassessmentarrangements;forexampleallowingalearnerextratimeto completetheassessmentactivity

adaptingassessmentmaterials,suchasprovidingmaterialsinBraille providingassistanceduringassessment,suchasasignlanguageinterpreterorareader re-organisingtheassessmentroom,suchasremovingvisualstimuliforanautisticlearner changingtheassessmentmethod;forexample,fromawrittenassessmenttoaspoken assessment

usingassistivetechnology,suchasscreen-readingorvoice-activatedsoftware providingthemechanismtohavedifferentcolourbackgroundstoscreensforonscreen assessmentsoraskingforpermissionforcopyingtodifferentcolouredpaperforpaper-based assessments

providingandallowingdifferentcolouredtransparencieswithwhichtoviewassessmentpapers

Awardingbodiesandcentresareonlyrequiredbylawtodowhatis‘reasonable’intermsofgiving access.Whatisreasonablewilldependontheindividualcircumstances,costimplicationsandthe practicalityandeffectivenessoftheadjustment.Otherfactors,suchastheneedtomaintain competencestandardsandhealthandsafety,willalsobetakenintoconsideration.

3.Definitionof‘specialconsideration’

Specialconsiderationcanbeappliedafteranassessmentiftherewasareasonthelearnermayhave beendisadvantagedduringtheassessment.

Forexample,specialconsiderationcouldapplytoalearnerwhohastemporarilyexperienced:

anillnessorinjury someothereventoutsideofhis/hercontrol

whichhashad,orislikelytohavehad,amaterialeffectonthatlearner’sabilitytotakean assessmentordemonstratehisorherlevelofattainmentinanassessment.

Specialconsiderationshouldnotgivethelearneranunfairadvantage,norshoulditsusecausethe userofthecertificatetobemisledregardingalearner’sachievements.Thelearner’sresultmust reflecthis/herachievementintheassessmentandnotnecessarilyhis/herpotentialability.

Specialconsideration,ifsuccessful,mayresultinasmallpost-assessmentadjustmenttothemark ofthelearner.Thesizeoftheadjustmentwilldependonthecircumstancesandreflectthedifficulty facedbythelearner.

Centresshouldnotethat:

whereanassessmentrequiresthelearnertodemonstratepracticalcompetenceorwhere criteriahavetobemetfully,orinthecaseofqualificationsthatconferaLicensetoPractise,it maynotbepossibletoapplyspecialconsideration insomecircumstances,forexampleforon-demandassessments,itmaybemoreappropriateto offerthelearneranopportunitytotaketheassessmentatalaterdate

4 Principlesofmakingreasonableadjustments

Theseprinciplesshouldbefollowedwhenmakingdecisionsaboutalearner’sneedforadjustments toassessment Theadjustments:

shouldnotinvalidatetheassessmentrequirementsofthequalification shouldnotgivethelearnersanunfairadvantage shouldreflectthelearner’snormalwayofworking shouldbebasedontheindividualneedofthelearner

5.Glossary

Inaneducationalcontext,theterm“assessment”referstoawiderangeoftoolsusedfordifferent purposes,suchas:

tomeasurelearners’knowledgeofaparticularareaorsubject(whattheyknow); tomakeaninformativejudgementonlearners’competence(whattheycando)andattitudes (whatdrivethemtoachieve);

toevaluatelearners’progression(whattheyhavelearntsofar);or toanalyselearners’intellectual(howtheylearn,whatlearningdifficultiestheyhave),social (whatothercommitments/barrierstheyhave)andemotional(whatframeofmindtheyhave) makeup.

6.Typesofassessment

Thetypeofassessmenttoolsusedwoulddependonthepurposeoftheassessment.However,any toolsusedmustfollowthesameprinciplesoffairnesstoensurethatalllearnershaveaccesstothe sameequalopportunitiesandavoidanypotentialdiscriminationrisks.Theprinciplesare: authenticity; fairness; reliability; validity; currency; sufficiency; fitnessforpurpose; transparency

6.1Authenticity

Allassessmentscarriedoutmustbecompletedbythelearnersthemselves Forexample,aperson sittingasummativeassessmentsuchasafinaltestforthelearnerisunfair,henceidentitychecks beingrobust

6.2Fairness

Theassessmentsystemanditsprocessesmustnotdisadvantageordiscriminatethelearner.You mayneedtoadjustthesystemtoaccommodatethelearner’sneeds.Please,seebelowfora descriptionofthereasonableadjustmentandspecialconsiderations.

6.3Reliability

Theassessmentoutcomesmustpresentanaccurateevaluationofwhatthelearnershavebeen assessedon.Forexample,ifalearnerdoestwoinitialassessmentsinEnglishusingtwodifferent systemsandtheresultsoftheassessmentsshowthislearnertobeworkingattwodifferentlevels (oneshowslevel1andtheotheroneshowslevel2),thenoneofthesesystemsisnotreliable(or both)asonewouldexpectbothsystemstoshowthelearnertobeworkingatthesamelevel.

6.4Validity

Themethodortypeofassessmentusedmustmeasurewhatitwasdesignedtomeasure.For example,usinganEnglishscreenerisnotavalidassessmentmethodtobuildupaprogrammein Englishasthescreenerwasonlydesignedtogiveanoverview,aroughideaofthelearners’English skills.TobuildupaprogrammeinEnglish,thelearnersmustcompleteanassessmentthatgivesa detailedviewoftheirskills.Inotherwords,theassessmentmethodsusedmustbeappropriatetothe requirementsoftheprogrammeorqualification.

6.5Currency

Theassessmentmethodmayneedtobeupdatedduetoachangeinthecurriculum.Forexample, themoveoftheLegacyFunctionalSkillssuiteinEnglishandMathstotheReformedFunctional Skillssuiterequiredassessmenttoolstobeamendedtoincludenewfunctionalskillselements. Currencyalsoreferstothetypeofevidencesubmittedbythelearnersforassessment.Atutorcannot makeanaccuratejudgementontheactualskillsofthelearnersbyassessingsomeworkcreatedfive yearsago

6.6Sufficiency

Theassessmentmethodmustbeexhaustiveenoughforonetobeconfidentoftheassessment outcometobeanaccuratepictureofthelearners’skills Forexample,howmanymultiplications shouldlearnerscarryoutforonetobeconfidentthatthelearnersareabletocarryout multiplications?

6.7Fitnessforpurpose

Theassessmentmethodsusedmustbeforthepurposeofmeasuringanintendedarea.

6.8Transparency

Itiscleartoallparties(thelearners,thetutors,theinternalqualityassurers,theawardingbody) whathasbeenassessedandwhattheoutcomesoftheassessmentwere.Itisthenimportanttokeep recordsofanyassessmentactivitiesasevidenceofcurrentlevel,progressionetc.Thereasonsfor specialconsiderationsmustalsobeclearanddocumented.

7.Summary-ReasonableAdjustmentandSpecialConsiderations

TheCompanyrecognisesthatsomecandidatesrequirealternativearrangementsfortheir examinations.Thismaybetheresultofadisability,medicalconditionorforreligiousreasons.The EqualityAct2010(previouslytheDisabilityDiscriminationAct1995)aimstoenddiscrimination whichmanypeoplewithadisabilityfaceanditisnowunlawfulforExaminationInstitutes,among others,todiscriminateagainstpeoplewithadisability.Examinationsshouldbeafairtestofan individual’sknowledgeandwhattheyareabletodo.Ifsomeonehasadisabilityorlearning difficulty,theusualformatoftheexaminationsmaynotbesuitable.Adjustmentsmayneedtobe madeforthem.Theyallowanindividualtoshowhis/herabilityandknowledgewithoutbeing disadvantagedbytheassessmentformatitself.Weseektoprovideequalaccesstoexaminationsfor allcandidates,ensuringthattherearenounnecessarybarriersandthatanyreasonableadjustments forcandidatespreservethevalidity,reliabilityandintegrityofthequalification.Wewillendeavourto accommodatetheneedsofcandidateswithaparticularexaminationrequirement,accordingto individualcircumstances,ensuringsuchcandidatesarenotdisadvantagedinrelationtoother candidatesandthatcertificatesaccuratelyreflectcandidateattainment.Wewillgiveevery considerationtorequestedextratimeandotheradjustments,ensuringthatthereareno unnecessarybarrierstotheexaminationandcandidateattainment However,allrequestswillbe consideredontheinformationreceived

RequestsforextratimeoranyotheradjustmentswhichdonotmeettheReasonableAdjustments Policywillbedeclined

8.Howtomakearequest

8.1Reasonableadjustmentrequests

TheTutorneedstoapplyforreasonableadjustmentthroughCRMandsubmittherelevantevidence totheleadIQAor,inhisabsence,totheHeadofAdministration.

Theserequestsmustbeapprovedbytherelevantawardingbodybeforereasonableadjustmentis carriedout.Itcouldtakeupto20workingdaysbeforewereceivetheapproval.Itisthenadvisedto submittheserequestsatleast20workingdayspriortotheassessment’sdate.RequestsforBraille translationsmustbesubmittedatleast30workingdayspriortotheassessment’sdate.

8.2Specialconsiderationrequests

SpecialconsiderationrequestsmustbesubmittedtotheleadIQAor,inhisabsence,totheHeadof Administrationwithin48hoursaftercompletionoftheassessment.

Contact

Address/Tel No

Tutor See the centre’s contact list Head of Quality

Think Employment Limited 140 Victoria Street Grimsby N E Lincs

DN31 1NX

Tel: 01472 898221

Head of Administration (also known for the awarding bodies as the Centre Manager)/Lead IQA

9.Reviewofthepolicy

Think Employment Limited 140 Victoria Street Grimsby N E Lincs DN31 1NX

Tel: 01472 898221

ASeniorLeaderwillreviewthispolicyannuallyormorefrequentlywheretherearesignificant changesincircumstances

To be disseminated to: All Staff / Service Users

Authorised by:

Head of Administration

Lead IQA

Performance & Quality Manager

Amendments:

Issue Date: October 2010

Dec 2018 – Introduction added / Layout change

Jan 2019 – No changes

Policy Ref: 013

Review Due: December 2024

June 2020 – More generic term used when mentioning awarding bodies

Dec 2020 – Changed Performance & Quality Manager to Head of Quality; removed “first language being English” for special consideration; changed Equality and Diversity Policy to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

May 2021 – Replaced Head of Operations to Head of Quality

November 2021 – Changed point 8 to include time scale for reasonable adjustment and special consideration requests, and to update how to submit the requests

April 2022 – Changed Head of Central Support to Head of Administration

Dec 2022 - Moved the purpose of this policy from section 6 to the introduction

Jan. 2024 - Replaced "Senior Manager" with "Senior Leader"