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"
