Are independent schools gaming the system to give a disproportionate advantage to their pupils in exams? That’s one possible inference from a new data release from Ofqual (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) on access arrangements for school exams. The release sheds light on adjustments designed so that students with disabilities aren’t disadvantaged in assessments. This might include, for example, papers in braille for a blind student or allowing a student with dyslexia to use a word processor.
Giving a pupil 25 per cent extra time to complete an exam is the most common adjustment schools can provide. The reasons commonly provided for the adjustment included English being a second language, physical disabilities that affect writing speed, and mental health issues.
The number of pupils receiving extra time in exams is increasing at a record rate. Almost a third of pupils are now eligible for extra time compared with a fifth just five years ago. But the jump is most prevalent in independent schools where two-in-five students now qualify for extra time.
Digging through the published data shows how widespread giving pupils extra time has become. The data for 2021 exams isn’t included, but since 2020 exams were cancelled at the last minute due to lockdown, the number of applications wouldn’t have varied much.
Several highlights stand out – not least that, this year, three in ten pupils received extra time for exams. The proportion has climbed significantly over the past few years, likely due to the increase in diagnoses for conditions like ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and dyslexia.
But the most intriguing point is how many students at independent schools get extra time. There’s no data on whether certain conditions are more prevalent in independent schools, which would help explain this trend. However, the Department for Education releases some data on the number of pupils with a special educational need (SEN) at all schools – conditions that might entitle a pupil to extra time, giving some idea of the variation between schools.
In the most recent release, 17.3 per cent of pupils in independent schools had SEN, compared with 12.9 per cent in the state sector. A third higher, yes, but not nearly enough to explain the significant gap in extra time allowances, which is closer to 60 per cent.
So what’s going on? We don’t have enough data to fully understand, but there are several possible explanations. Are independent schools simply better at ‘working the system’ to secure every advantage for their students – a service parents might well expect? Or is there something in the state system’s approach to SEN that means need is less readily recognised? In the state sector, childhood adversity – often linked to conditions like ADHD – may also be more prevalent, with fewer resources available to support these students.
Perhaps it’s a combination of all these factors: a complex entanglement of pressures, expectations, and systemic differences. With VAT soon to be added to independent school fees, such schools may become even less accessible to families scraping together fees to secure extra support for their children’s educational needs. Ofqual’s data raises a crucial question: is the rise in exam accommodations a reflection of genuine need, or does it reveal a growing divide in how different sectors understand and apply support? Either way, the implications go beyond just exams, reaching to the heart of educational equality.
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