Access arrangements at St Saviour’s and St Olave’s

Access Arrangements are adjustments made before exams, based on evidence of need and how a student normally works. These arrangements help students with special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to access assessments without changing what is being tested. 

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) oversees the process, providing comprehensive guidance and a framework which all schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must observe to meet their duties under equality legislation. This process comprises three stages:

Stage 1: Access arrangements applications begin with class teachers. School must be able to tell an individualised ‘story’ of why a candidate needs 25% extra time or other adjustments. Feedback from teaching staff should include details of how a candidate’s learning difficulties impact in the classroom, in internal tests and in mock exams. This must be backed up with concrete evidence of assessments completed with and without 25% extra time. This evidence can include the use of assistive technology (e.g. pen readers, laptops) and rest breaks.

Stage 2: Once a detailed picture of a student’s normal ways of working has been established and shared with the SENDCo, the next step will be an appointment with our Access Arrangements Assessor (AAA). Our Assessor comes into school once or twice every year, as needed. During individual appointments, the AAA carries out tests in a range of areas, such as cognitive processing, reading and writing speed, and spelling. Depending on the scores of these tests, they can recommend any of the following: 25% extra time, rest breaks, a reader, a scribe or assistive technology.

Stage 3: the SENDCo validates the recommendations, on the condition that sufficient teacher evidence has been provided. An online request is then submitted to the exam boards, via a platform called Access Arrangements Online (AAO). This is either accepted or rejected, but we do not usually progress to this stage until we are sure that an application will be accepted.

Please note that since September 2025, the JCQ has been recommending rest breaks rather than extra time, especially for candidates with a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, mental health needs or a medical condition. Extra time simply extends the period a candidate must remain in a potentially stressful environment, which can intensify anxiety and affect exam performance. Supervised rest breaks, however, allow the candidate to step away from the exam setting, use structured self-regulation techniques and return when they are calm and better able to focus. The minutes spent outside the exam room are recorded and added back to the overall exam time, so that candidates are not unfairly disadvantaged. Typically, a rest break lasts between 5-10 minutes and 2-3 can be taken within the duration of a given exam.

In summary, there must be adequate proof of need before an application for access arrangements can be made. This is to ensure a level playing field for all students sitting external exams, across the entire country. Every school is inspected by a JCQ representative during the public exam season, to check that documents held are compliant with the regulations. In line with UK GPDR/Data Protection Act 2018, you should be aware that the candidate's name and exam number will be shared with AAO when an application is made.

Updated in April 2026.