Has anyone succeeded in getting a scribe for gcses?

[catstail]

Has anyone ever managed to get this? If yes would you mind sharing what your professional report said and what extra evidence was submitted that allowed you to get the scribe?

Its seems to be from my little bit of digging around that getting a scribe concession is unbelievably difficult and very rare

[Mathsdidi]

I work in a large secondary school with 240 ish students in each year. Each yeargroup has between 3 and 5 pupils who are eligible for a scribe. Most of them have physical conditions that make writing particularly difficult.

[catstail]

but what kind of "difficult" is acceptable for the concession i wonder?

i saw one paragraph which said it must be illegible (not the case for us, hard to read yes, sometimes very hard to read) OR (I think) so slow that an exam paper couldnt be completed in time even with extra time.

Anyone got any more detail on this second option? How do they quantify or measure whether the child qualifies due to slowness in writing?

[catstail]

oh, AND not able to type - what do they mean exactly by cannot type???

[NoHaudinMaWheest]

My Ds has a scribe if he wants one. He didn't use one (his choice) for exam units in the summer with disasterous results, so has now realised that he needs to.

To be honest the school has sorted it all out and I haven't had to do anything. They need to prove that this is a normal way for him to work and although he doesn't regularly use a scribe in school, I have always scribed homework for him.

He has complex problems with getting things down on paper.

1. Slow processing speed and difficulty in transferring what he can say fluently to writing. That's mainly the AS bit I think.
   

1. Difficulties with spelling and organising on paper. The dyslexic bit.
   

1. Difficulties with handwriting. His writing is just legible but gets worse if he tries to speed up. He is not exceptionally slow but still would find it difficult to finish even with extra time if a lot of writing involved. His hands also get tired and painful. The hypermobile joints bit.
   

Ds has a statement and it was the SENCO who negotiated with the exams officer.

Really I think it should be the SENCO's job but I'm assuming from your post that yours is not sympathetic.

[pinkorkid]

www.edexcel.com/Policies/Documents/Access%20Arrangements,%20Reasonable%20Adjustments%20and%20Special%20Consideration.pdf

I think this site gives the criteria the main exam boards use and i think there are specific tests the schools are asked to use to work out what the students qualify for.

[hoxtonbabe]

Im sort of dabbling in this area at the moment, from the conversation I had with the JCQ the school need to apply for such support to the relevant exam body, stating reasons, evidence, etc..

[stillsmarting]

DS had a scribe for some of his GCSEs last year. The school applied and we were not involved. They just said at his Annual review that they would.
Are you Home Edding?
DS has very poor handwriting and writing for any length of time is very uncomfortable. He can touch type very well, so the scribe and the typing were not mutually exclusive.
He was also given a private room and extra time.
He had a Statement and has AS.

[creamteas]

My DC have scribes, they also have a separate room and extra time. They can just about write legibly, but it is slow.

School didn't need a report, the SENCO ran some tests on writing speed etc and that was enough.

It does have to be their 'normal way of working' though, so they should have a scribe for all internal exams as well.