The greater need for exam support is putting schools under pressure

The number of students needing extra help during exams has reached a record high.

Figures were released on Thursday by exams regulator Ofqual reveal that 625,000 adjustments were made to GCSE, AS and A-level exams in England last year.

It has left many schools and colleges struggling to deal with the logistical hurdles required to make all the adjustments.

Some have had to hire external exam halls as their own buildings have reached capacity, while others are hiring more proctors to monitor exams – all at an additional cost.

For Hannah, 17, a few ‘simple’ adjustments to her exam experience made a big difference.

When Hannah started taking exams at school at the age of 10, she began experiencing panic attacks and “paralyzing anxiety”.

Several times, teachers had to take her out of the exam room to calm her down and regulate her breathing.

She rarely sat her exams, and the traumatic experience took such a toll on her mental health that she was eventually accepted into CAMHS, the NHS service that supports children and young people with emotional, behavioral and mental health problems.

But when she was later diagnosed with dyslexia, her school made some ‘simple’ adjustments that changed her relationship with exams and learning.

“It completely changed my high school experience,” she says.

Hannah is one of many thousands of students in England who receive an access arrangement when she takes exams.

She is now studying at Leeds Sixth Form College and has several exam adjustments, including 50% extra time and an exam printed on blue paper, which allows her to concentrate on the text.

During the most recent school year, a total of 625,000 access schemes were approved at schools and colleges in England – more than ever before.

That figure is an increase of 12.3% compared to the previous year. In the same period, the number of exam students increased by only 5.6%.

Over the past three years, the total number of approved access arrangements has increased by 39.6%.

For students to gain access to exams, schools and colleges must provide detailed evidence to qualified assessors.

They then sit down with each student to determine whether he or she is entitled to extra help – and what adjustments are required.

Some students receive one adjustment, while others qualify for multiple adjustments.

‘Better tools’

Educational psychologist Dr. Patricia Britto says the increase in approved requests is partly due to a spike in the number of children diagnosed with neurodiverse needssuch as ADHD and autism.

“We also now have better tools than ever before to identify the different needs of children,” she says.

But Dr. Britto adds that there are still more children need extra help with lessons and exams to ensure that they can ‘thrive rather than survive’ at school.

Martin Stables, exam assessment and engagement lead at Leeds City College, says the access arrangements are tailored to each student to ensure exams follow the way they learn in the classroom.

More than 3,900 students – 38% of the total university population in Leeds City – have at least one form of bespoke examination scheme.

And while the ‘holistic approach’ allows students to perform better in exams, Mr Stables says a lot of planning is needed to ensure each exam runs smoothly.

In the past, the college had to rent a community center to meet additional space needs on exam days.

This year it was a sports hall in a nearby recreation center.

“The cost of all this should be borne by the council itself,” Mr Stables said.

“Without these additional spaces it would be virtually impossible given the level of access arrangements we have.”

In addition, every member of the university staff is trained to administer exams due to the high number of students requiring additional support.

Last year, the university’s CEO even stepped in to oversee an exam: “Everyone is working on it.”

Barry Wheller, an independent assessor of access to exams, says funding and staffing issues are also becoming a major problem for schools.

As more and more students need rest breaks and are allowed to take exams in smaller spaces, schools are increasingly having to hire additional exam invigilators.

“Schools have to swallow these extra costs.”

He also mentions the price of assistive technology, such as reading and writing software and pens for exam readers, which each cost hundreds of euros.

Despite all the difficulties schools and colleges face in facilitating access arrangements, Hannah says the extra support can “completely change people’s lives”.

She quotes her father, who left school without a diploma because he “didn’t get the help he needed”, and compares this to her experience.

“I think we are extremely privileged to have people who can recognize these problems, but the grades you get in your education will determine what happens in your career.”