General
All maintained schools, including special schools, are required by law to follow the National Curriculum and the associated assessment arrangements. Wherever possible, children with special educational needs (SEN) must follow the National Curriculum. However, legislation does allow modification of some or all of the National Curriculum and the related assessment arrangements, or exemption from the National Curriculum, for an individual child who has a statement of special educational needs. In addition, the headteacher of a maintained school may also make temporary exceptions from some or all of the National Curriculum and the related assessment arrangments, for individual students, for a period of up to six months. If parents disagree with the headteacher's arrangements, they may make their views known and, if necessary, appeal to the school governing body.13
Consequently, in compulsory education, children with special educational needs (SEN) are usually subject to the statutory national system of assessment on school entry (known as the foundation stage profile), and some are consequently subject to the national testing arrangements on completion of key stages 1, 2 and 3 and/or take national examinations such as GCSEs or GCE 'A' Levels, dependent on the standards at which they are able to work.19 Full details of the statutory system of assessment and available qualifications are provided in the relevant sections of the mainstream England Archive.
Students with statements of special educational needs can be 'disapplied' from the National Curriculum tests (at the end of key stage 1 or key stage 2 for example). A continuous assessment of each student's progress and attitudes is usually carried out by his/her teacher(s), who may set their own internal tests and examinations.17
The foundation stage profile
See also section 6.1.1 of the mainstream archive for England.
All publicly-funded primary schools must assess children using the foundation stage profile, which replaced baseline (school entry) assessment. Foundation stage profiles are completed for all children at the end of the foundation stage (the period of education from age 3 to the end of the academic year in which a child reaches his/her fifth birthday). They are intended to be as inclusive as possible and are therefore also applicable to children with special educational needs. The profiles present a picture of what a child knows and has achieved, but does not involve tests. 79
National curriculum assessment
Towards the end of each of the first three key stages of compulsory education (students usually aged 7, 11 and 14 years respectively), teachers monitor children's progress against the attainment targets for each of the National Curriculum subjects. Students with special educational needs may also be assessed by means of National Curriculum tests. If a student's statement of special educational needs modifies the statutory assessment arrangements, the provisions within the statement should be followed in respect to the statutory tests and tasks. Assessment of students at the end of key stage 4 is linked to the main external examination for secondary school students aged 16, the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) (see below).10
GCSEs and GCE 'A' Levels
Although the same examinations and certification are available for students with special educational needs (SEN) as for mainstream students, special arrangements in examinations may be needed for some candidates. Regulations and guidance for heads of examinations centres and examinations officers are published.11
Entry-level awards
Entry-level awards are aimed particularly at students who have learning difficulties. Full details of these qualifications are provided in section 6.3.1 of the mainstream England Archive.
Special schools
Assessment of students in special schools usually follows the same procedures as in mainstream schools (see above and the relevant sections of the mainstream England Archive referred to above).15
P-scales
In December 1998, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and the, then, Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) jointly published a booklet entitled "Supporting the Target-Setting Process: Guidance for Effective Target Setting for Pupils with Special Educational Needs". This contained performance criteria (called P-scales) designed to recognise:
The above guidance has since been updated. The National Assessment Agency has developed a "Guide to P-scale national data collection", available online: http://www.qca.org.uk/8798_14189.html. In addition, the publication "Using the P-scales" gives advice on using and moderating the P-scales: http://www.qca.org.uk/13632.html. These publications replace the versions of the P-scales which were found in the above publication "Supporting the Target Setting Process". 92
The P-scales are designed for students between 5 and 16 years of age. They were developed to support target setting through the use of summative assessment and to be used at the end of key stages . For those students making more rapid progress they can also be used once a year. Schools are expected to report the attainment of any child with special educational needs working below national curriculum level 1 as a P-level. 92
Comprehensive Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) guidance on planning, teaching and assessing the curriculum for students with learning difficulties, for all those working in the area, is available on the Internet. The website url is http://www.nc.uk.net/ld
The primary reason for assessment is to identify what students have learnt so that the next steps in their learning can be planned.48
Foundation stage profile
The foundation stage profile, completed at the end of the academic year in which a child reaches his/her fifth birthday involves teachers building up a picture of what a child knows and has achieved. The observational and recording process which this involves is intended to assist in the identification of children with special educational needs as early as possible. Teachers may then use their expertise to identify areas where children may need additional support to achieve expected progress.79
Advanced Extension Awards at age 18+
Since the summer of 2002, Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs) have been available for the most able 18-year-old students. AEAs are intended to offer a stimulating challenge to those students identified earlier in their school career as being particularly able. Further details are provided in section 6.4.1 of the mainstream England Archive.
P-scales
The P-scales are assessment criteria for progress below level one in the National Curriculum programmes of study (see 6.5.1). Designed for use with students aged 5-16 with special educational needs, the P-scales were developed to support target setting through the use of summative assesment and are intended to be used at the end of key stages or, for those students making more rapid progress, once a year. 92
See section 6.5.1 in addition.
Statutory assessment applies to maintained schools (publicly-funded schools) only. Independent schools are encouraged, but not required, to take part in the assessment arrangements at the end of key stages 1, 2 and 3.48
Statutory assessment at the end of key stages 1 and 2
The tasks and tests included in statutory national assessment at the end of key stages 1 and 2 (for full details, see the mainstream England archive, section 6.2) are designed to be accessible to the vast majority of children, including those with special educational needs (SEN). For children with visual impairment, for example, Braille, modified large print papers and papers in enlarged format are available. Special arrangements for the administration of the tests may be appropriate for some children, for example children with special educational needs (SEN), children who are unable to sit and work at a test for a sustained period, and children for whom English is an additional language. A very small number of children, including those with chronic and severe illness, may be unable to take the tests, even when these have been adapted or other special arrangements have been made.46, 47
Statutory assessment at the end of key stage 3
Generally, all students in the final year of key stage 3 (Year 9, aged around 14) are assessed under the statutory assessment arrangements for the end of this key stage. However, only students who are assessed by their teachers as working at level 3 or above in mathematics and science, or level 4 or above in English, have to take the tests. Students working at lower levels do not have to take the tests; teacher assessment is the sole statutory requirement for these students.49 (Further details of the National Curriculum eight-level scale are available in see section 6.2.6 of the mainstream England Archive.)
The tests are designed to be accessible to the vast majority of students, including those with special educational needs (SEN). For visually impaired students, for example, Braille, modified large print and enlarged format papers are available. Special arrangements for the administration of the tests may be appropriate for some students, for example students with special educational needs (SEN), students who are unable to sit and work at a test for a sustained period, and students for whom English is an additional language. A very small number of students, including those with chronic and severe illness, may be unable to take the tests, even when these have been adapted or other special arrangements have been made.40
GCSEs and GCE 'A' Levels
Although the same examinations and certification are available for students with special educational needs (SEN) as for mainstream students, special arrangements in examinations may be needed for some candidates.11
See section 6.5.1 in addition.
For further information regarding the foundation stage profile, see section 6.1.4 of the mainstream England Archive.
For information regarding National Curriculum assessment, see sections 6.2.4 and 6.3.4 of the mainstream England Archive.
For information regarding GCSE and GCE 'A' Levels, see sections 6.3.4 and 6.4.4 of the mainstream England Archive in addition.
For information regarding National Curriculum assessment, see sections 6.2.5 and 6.3.5 of the mainstream England Archive.
For general information regarding GCSE and GCE 'A' Levels, see section 6.5.1 of this Archive and sections 6.3.5 and 6.4.5 of the mainstream England Archive in addition.
Special arrangements for GCSEs and GCE 'A' Levels
Although the same examinations and certification are available for students with special educational needs (SEN) as for mainstream students, special arrangements in examinations may be needed for some candidates. Regulations and guidance for heads of examinations centres and examinations officers are published.11
Where students with special educational needs are entered for national examinations on completion of compulsory secondary education or of post-compulsory courses of study, teachers may make requests to the awarding body or examining board for special assessment arrangements. The aim of special arrangements is to enable candidates who might not otherwise be able to do so to demonstrate their attainment. Special arrangements may, for example, be needed for:
Special examination arrangements must be approved before the examination takes place.33
The nature of the special examination arrangement is determined according to the assessment needs of the individual candidate, but must not give the candidate an unfair advantage over other candidates. The range of special arrangements varies according to the individual candidate's needs. Some may be awarded extra time to complete the assessment task, or may be permitted to take supervised breaks or rest periods during the examination. For visually impaired candidates, the visual presentation of the papers may be changed by, for example, the use of large print or simplified layout of the examination paper, or by the use of braille versions of the papers. Other candidates may have questions read to them; flashcards may be used to assist hearing-impaired candidates in mental arithmetic tests; or typewritten, word processed or transcribed responses may be accepted from students who are unable to write. Some candidates may also be allowed to take their examinations at a venue other than the examination centre, for example, at home or in hospital. Regulations and guidance are published annually for examination centres entering students with special needs for national examinations.34
P-scales
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) organises annual data collection and the analysis of P-scale assessment data in order to establish a national picture of the performance of students working significantly below age-related expectations and to prepare analyses to support school self-evaluation and the setting of school improvement targets. 92
The foundation stage profile
Detailed information on the assessment scales for the foundation stage profile and the assessment of children with special educational needs is accessible at: http://www.qca.org.uk/ages3-14/foundation/163.html#children
Step descriptions
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has developed a set of standards for measuring the progress of children for whom English is an additional language. Called 'step descriptions', these standards can be used to assess the performance, in different aspects of English, of children who are working below level 1 of the National Curriculum eight-level scale (see section 6.2.6 of the mainstream England Archive for full details of the eight-level scale). There are two step descriptions for each of the three attainment targets in National Curriculum English: 'speaking and listening', 'reading', and 'writing'. These set out expectations to enable teachers to make 'best fit' judgements about each student's attainment. 42
For further information regarding grading in National Curriculum assessment, see sections 6.2.6 and 6.3.6 of the mainstream England Archive.
For information on grading in GCSE and GCE 'A' Levels, see sections 6.3.6 and 6.4.6 of the mainstream England Archive in addition.
P-scales
The P-scales are assessment criteria for measuring progress below level one in the National Curriculum programmes of study (see section 6.2.6 of the mainstream England archive). P-scales are designed for use with students aged between 5 and 16 years of age and were developed to support target setting through the use of summative assessment. They are intended to be used at the end of key stages or, for those students making more rapid progress, once a year. Schools are expected to report the attainment of any child with special educational needs working below national curriculum level 1 as a P-level. 92
The National Assessment Agency has developed a "Guide to P-scale national data collection", which is available online: http://www.qca.org.uk/8798_14189.html. In addition, the publication "Using the P-scales" gives advice on using and moderating the P-scales: http://www.qca.org.uk/13632.html. 92
See section 6.5.2 in addition.
For information on National Curriculum assessment, see sections 6.2.7 and 6.3.7 of the mainstream England Archive in addition.
For information regarding GCSE and GCE 'A' Levels, see sections 6.3.7 and 6.4.7 of the mainstream England Archive in addition.
Students with statements of special educational needs
For students with statements of special educational needs, annual student assessment and review of this statement may result in a student transferring from a mainstream to a special school or vice versa. See section 4.5.2 for further information.
See also, sections 6.1.8, 6.2.8, 6.3.8 and 6.4.8 of the mainstream England archive.
Use of results to measure value-added and improve school performance/target-setting
The results of National Curriculum assessment and external examinations may be used as a resource to help schools raise standards and help their students reach their full potential. The school governing bodies of maintained schools are, for example, responsible for setting and publishing targets. In primary education, for example, targets have to be set by 31 December of a given year for performance in National Curriculum assessment at the end of key stage 2 (age 11) in the summer term in 18 months' time. School governing bodies are also required to publish their school's actual performance against these targets and to review their progress towards targets in the interim year. That is to say that, in the autumn term of 1999, for example, at the same time as setting new targets for summer 2001, school governing bodies were expected to be considering what more needed to be done in order to achieve their summer 2000 targets. In secondary education, targets have to be set for performance in national examinations at the end of key stage 4, age 16. To assist schools in this process, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and the National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets (NACETT) produces a set of benchmarks using National Curriculum assessment results. These benchmarks are sent to schools to be used to set targets for improvement. Schools with already high levels of achievement are expected to set targets for further improvement.37,58,39
Target setting as a means of improving standards of education applies equally to children with special educational needs, although additional targets may be relevant to students with special needs or high ability. Some special schools, and mainstream schools with a high proportion of students with special educational needs, may wish to publish additional targets. These will usually relate to the percentage of students attaining National Curriculum levels 1, 2, or 3 (or below) (of the National Curriculum eight-level scale, see 6.2.6 of the mainstream England archive) in mathematics and English, and targets in other areas such as personal and social development. Guidance to assist schools in doing this is available - see section 6.5.1. Some schools may also wish to set additional targets for the percentage of more able students who are likely to attain higher levels.30
Use of results to inform parental choice
Primary school performance tables have been published since March 1997. These list, for each school, the percentage of eligible students leaving primary education and achieving level 4, or above, of the National Curriculum eight-level scale (see section 6.3.6 of the mainstream England Archive), and the percentage of eligible students who were absent or disapplied (not accounted for). Percentages are shown for test results in English, mathematics and science, and for teacher assessment for each subject. The tables are intended to enable parents to make comparisons of local primary schools based on how successful their students have been in English, mathematics and science at age 11, in tests and teacher assessment. They are intended to give parents the power to choose the best and most appropriate school for their children.68
Since September 2000, the school performance tables have not included data on students who have recently arrived from overseas and who have English language difficulties. This applies to children whose first language is not English and who were admitted to an English school on or after the start of Year 5 (aged 9+ for primary schools) and Year 10 (aged 14+, for secondary schools).68
Where students have a statement of special educational needs, the first annual review after the student's 14th birthday, and any subsequent annual reviews until he/she leaves school, include a transition plan, which draws together information to plan for the child's transition to adult life. This will, for example, detail if a student is disabled and may, as a result, require services from the local authority when leaving school.11
Many students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities go on to further education and/or higher education and attend ordinary courses at colleges and universities, with the help of special equipment or support. Some colleges organise special courses or have special units for these students.12