The number of special access arrangements approved for exams has jumped from last year, prompting a headteachers’ union to call for more support for schools.
For the 2022-23 academic year, 556,400 access arrangements were approved for GCSEs, AS and A levels. This was an 8.7 per cent increase on the previous academic year, the latest data from Ofqual shows.
There was also a small increase in the proportion of centres that had some form of approved access arrangements in place - from 92.9 per cent in the previous academic year to 94 per cent in 2022-23.
Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at the NAHT school leaders’ union, said its members have been consistently raising the issue of increasing access arrangements to make sure students have the right support to demonstrate their skills.
She added: “However, the significant increase in take-up creates logistical challenges for schools and colleges in providing adequate staffing and rooms to facilitate these arrangements and minimise the impact on the teaching of other year groups.
“The government needs to take action to alleviate the pressure on schools and colleges, reducing the number of exams and assessments young people have to take for each qualification and funding the additional resources needed to meet young people’s needs.”
Exam special access arrangements
The most commonly approved access arrangement for 2022-23 was students being given 25 per cent extra time.
This made up 65.8 per cent of all approved access arrangements in the 2022- 23 academic year.
Ofqual said the number of students being given this extra time equated to 27.7 per cent of all candidates taking exams in the 2022-23 academic year, compared with 26 per cent in 2021-22.
The next most common access arrangement was for a computer reader or reader (9.2 per cent of all candidates), and the third most common was for a scribe or speech recognition (3.5 per cent of all candidates).
Some 62,800 modified paper requests were granted in summer 2023, an increase of 2.7 per cent on the previous summer exams. Modified paper requests must be submitted in advance of a set of exams.
Guidance from the Joint Council for Qualifications states that access arrangements granted to disabled students will apply for up to 26 months, unless they are for temporary conditions.
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
