Ofqual's consultation on specifications on reasonable adjustments

Consultation outcome OFQUAL'S CONSULTATION ON SPECIFICATIONS ON REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS Get emails about this page APPLIES TO ENGLAND This consultation has concluded READ THE FULL

OUTCOME DECISIONS ON OFQUAL’S SPECIFICATIONS ON REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS UNDER SECTION 96 OF THE EQUALITY ACT 2010 AND RELATED ISSUES Ref: Ofqual/16/6130 PDF, 326 KB, 8 pages This file may not

be suitable for users of assistive technology. Request an accessible format. If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more

accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use. DETAIL OF OUTCOME There were 36

respondents to the consultation, who supported most of our proposals. Respondents provided a number of comments. In many instances, these were about refinements to the wording of our draft

specifications, to improve their clarity. In particular, respondents suggested improvements to the clarity of our specifications on the use of readers and practical assistants. Respondents

also suggested that we include guidance and examples alongside our specifications to help users understand them. Although we have not set out every response, we have considered all responses

in arriving at our decisions. We have published an analysis of responses to our consultation alongside our decisions. We have published a new version of ‘Specifications in relation to the

reasonable adjustment of general qualifications’ to formally introduce our new specifications. This replaces the version published in 2011 and will come in to effect on 1 January 2017.

FEEDBACK RECEIVED ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES TO OUR CONSULTATION ON SPECIFICATIONS ON REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS PDF, 560 KB, 34 pages This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format. If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email

[email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use. DETAIL OF FEEDBACK RECEIVED There were 36 responses to the

consultation. 10 of these were from awarding organisations and 10 were personal responses. We received 9 responses from representative or interest groups, 3 from schools or colleges, 2 from

unions and 1 each from a trade association and a local authority. 1 organisational response, from a union, did not respond directly to our consultation questions but provided a general

response. Respondents to the consultation supported the majority of our proposals. Respondents provided a number of comments in response to our proposals. In many instances, these were about

refinements to the wording of our draft specifications to improve their clarity, as opposed to wholesale changes. In particular, respondents suggested improvements to the clarity of our

specifications concerning readers and practical assistants. Respondents also suggested that we include guidance and examples alongside our specifications to help users understand them. There

were 2 areas in particular where views were split amongst respondents: * Oral language modifiers (OLMs). We proposed not to specify to prohibit OLMs as a reasonable adjustment. We received

strong views both for and against this proposal, with some awarding organisations suggesting OLMs should be prohibited, whilst many representative groups would like to see OLMs remain

available. * Access to texts and other materials. We proposed to specify to restrict access to texts and other materials (for example calculators) that are not normally available to

students, as a reasonable adjustment. Views on this were mixed with some awarding organisations preferring an outright ban on provision of such materials, whilst other respondents supported

our proposal to put in place restrictions that go short of a ban. ------------------------- ORIGINAL CONSULTATION SUMMARY A consultation on proposed changes to reasonable adjustments to

qualifications for disabled students. This consultation ran from 9:30AM ON 25 MAY 2016 TO 11:59PM ON 31 JULY 2016 CONSULTATION DESCRIPTION We are seeking views on our proposals for

amendments to the specifications on reasonable adjustments for disabled students. Awarding organisations have a duty, under the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled

students. Each year many adjustments are made to the way disabled students take their assessments, to remove or reduce the disadvantage they would otherwise experience. The Equality Act

gives Ofqual the power to limit the extent of the duty on awarding organisations to make reasonable adjustments, for specified general qualifications in England. We have been given this

power so we can make sure that reasonable adjustments do not: * prevent a qualification giving a reliable indication of a student’s knowledge, skills and understanding * damage public

confidence in a qualification SPECIFICATIONS We use this power by making ‘specifications’. These prohibit or limit the extent to which awarding organisations must make or allow reasonable

adjustments to some qualifications. We are committed to keeping these specifications under review and are now seeking views on proposed amendments and additions to them. In addition to the

specifications themselves, we are also seeking views on the qualifications our specifications apply to and how awarding organisations indicate an exemption on students’ certificates. In

2011, we made eight specifications: * An exemption must not be used as a reasonable adjustment, except where no other reasonable adjustment is available to the candidate. * An exemption must

not be used as a reasonable adjustment where it would form more than 40% of the available (weighted) marks of a qualification. In a GCE, at least one A2 unit must be completed. For

Principal Learning, 40% of the qualification should be taken to mean 40% of the guided learning hours. * An exemption to part of a component must not be used as a reasonable adjustment.

Exemptions must only be provided for whole components where a candidate cannot access any part of that component. * Awarding organisations must not make reasonable adjustments for disabled

candidates in relation to grade boundaries and pass marks, also known as ‘cut scores’. * Human readers must not be used as a reasonable adjustment where a candidate’s reading ability is

being assessed. * Human scribes and voice recognition systems must not be used as a reasonable adjustment to demonstrate written skills where those written skills form part of the

qualification’s assessment objectives. * British Sign Language must not be used as a reasonable adjustment where candidates are required to demonstrate their ability to speak or listen in

English or a Modern Foreign Language. * Practical assistants must not be used as a reasonable adjustment to carry out physical tasks or demonstrate physical abilities where those physical

tasks or abilities form part of the qualification’s assessment objectives. QUALIFICATIONS COVERED The specifications cover: * 14 to 19 diploma principal learning * advanced extension awards

* Cambridge international certificate * Cambridge pre-university qualification * certificate in adult literacy * certificate in adult numeracy * entry level certificates in GCSE subjects *

extended projects * foundation projects * free-standing mathematics qualifications * functional skills * general certificate of education advanced level (AS and A levels) * general

certificate of secondary education (GCSE) * general national vocational qualifications (GNVQs) * higher projects * international baccalaureate diploma * key skills * Welsh baccalaureate

qualification * core certificate DOCUMENTS CONSULTATION ON SPECIFICATIONS ON REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS Ref: Ofqual/16/5999 PDF, 249 KB, 53 pages SHARE THIS PAGE The following links open in a

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