Ofqual is investigating a growing gap between private and state schools in the use of exam access arrangements, after concerns were raised by the education secretary.
But the regulator has been urged to publish better data on their use and the attainment of those who receive them, after admitting it could not say whether independent special schools were skewing statistics.
Data published by Ofqual last week showed the use of access arrangements for pupils who would otherwise struggle to take exams soared by 12.3 per cent last year, with three in ten pupils now granted extra time.
But the proportion getting extra time in private schools was almost 42 per cent, far above the 26.5 per cent in state secondaries.
The Financial Times reported last week that Bridget Phillipson had said it was a “real concern to me there is such a big divide between the state and private system”. She had asked Ofqual to look at “why so many children require this support”.
Private-state gap widens
Extra time of 25 per cent is the most common form of arrangement, granted to pupils who would otherwise struggle to complete papers, such as those with ADHD or dyslexia. Other arrangements include a reader or access to modified papers.
Private school pupils have been more likely to get an access arrangement for years, but the gap has grown from less than 10 percentage points in 2019 to almost 16 last year.
Ofqual said that when it published official statistics, “we look carefully at the figures and any implications for regulation”.
“As the secretary of state has said, we are looking at recent changes in the data on access arrangements. We will consider what they show and how they should inform our regulatory approach.
“It is important that students receive the access arrangements they need to allow them to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do.”
Jon Andrews, from the Education Policy Institute, told the FT private schools “already get much higher results than other pupils … but if you are being given additional time in exams, that is going to materially improve outcomes”.
Questions around Ofqual data
There are also questions around the data published by Ofqual, which it collates from exam boards.
For example, data is not broken down by individual centre type, meaning figures for independent schools include private special schools.
Ofqual said most special schools would be badged either as “independent” or “other” centre types. This suggests special schools may be under-represented in the data for state secondary schools.
Special schools cater for pupils with the most complex needs, who are more likely to need such access arrangements.
The regulator told Schools Week it was unable to break the data down further.
Dave Thomson, a statistician from FFE Education Datalab, said special schools “only make up a small percentage of the total”.
In 2023 key stage 4 data, about 6 per cent of pupils in the independent sector were in special schools, compared with 2 per cent of state pupils.
“There will be a bunch of kids with SEN attending independent schools that aren’t classified as independent special … but not huge numbers. Certainly not enough to explain the differences the FT has reported.”
Publish more data, regulator told
He said Ofqual should publish aggregated data on grades achieved by pupils receiving extra time by institution type and subject. Andrews pointed out the proportion of pupils receiving some form of SEND support was higher in private schools (22.4 per cent) than state (15.6 per cent).
“So the difference in SEND rates will likely explain some of the difference – there’s a higher percentage of SEND in independent schools – but it’s clearly more complicated than that.”
Ofqual’s data shows that across the whole education sector, almost 625,000 access arrangements were approved for the 2023-24 academic year, up from 556,000 the previous year.
Last year, the equivalent of 30.1 per cent of all candidates taking exams were given 25 per cent more time, up from 28 per cent the previous year.
There were 69,095 requests for modified papers – for example for visually impaired pupils – a 10 per cent rise on 2022-23.
Ofqual also said that the figures “only show the number of granted requests … not the total number of modified papers actually produced or used in the summer series”.
Schools Week revealed earlier this year how some pupils with additional needs will be able to listen to white noise or music during their exams next year after new rules were introduced following a post-Covid rise in requests.
Meanwhile, schools will also be able to use mental health support service referral letters to apply for extra support to ensure youngsters are not disadvantaged by long waiting lists.
If you with the assumptions that 1) 27% reprsents the population % requiring extra time, 2) that the baseline of private school pupils is 5% of the total, and 5% of state pupil parents move their children to private, then the resulting private percentage you would expect to need extra time is basically:
(27%x5 + 27×5%x95%) /(5+27%x5%x95%) =40%.
What’s the issue, except that state SEN provision is not accepted by parents who can afford private education?
Came to say exactly this. When the state fails to provide parents look for solutions to help their children…independent offers this!
The article is another attempt to create a divide and untruthful representation that independent schools are cheating a system. Actually they are providing a solution when another system is so broken!
At some point Bridget Phillipson will accept that the private school sector outside the South East includes a lot of smaller schools many of which specialise in SEN. That the SEN provision in the state sector has been woefully under funded for years, and that parents who are able to have sent their children to private school because it’s that or watch their kids fall to pieces (and yes, I recognise the unfairness of that as that still leaves loads of kids in the state sector not getting the support they desperately need). Penalising the private sector doesn’t fix the state sector, it just takes away an option for desperate parents. For us, paying £700 a month to send our child with disabilities to a lovely small nurturing private school is better than the self harm and desperation he experienced in the state sector, it was that or lose a whole salary to home schooling (which is the other option many people take)
Let’s reframe this headline, shall we: ‘Ofqual investigates why state schools fail to secure extra exam time for all neurodiverse students who need it.’ The focus should be on equity and ensuring all students get the support they deserve
All children should be given the extra time. Why should any child be penalised because it takes them a little longer to read the question, organise their ideas or write a response. If it is good for children with send, it is good for all children. Removing the time constraints would make our exams kinder and less stressful and no less rigorous.
State schools often fail to recognise symptoms of learning difficulties, leaving many students without the accommodations they need (including extra time).
Meanwhile, private schools are increasingly applying for extra time without formal diagnoses, raising questions about fairness and consistency.
Ofqual is currently investigating this disparity but that does not help parents facing this problem right now.
There’s two sides to this argument both ethical and realistic. Education is a competitive environment for kids, and Private Schools have worked out a way to get an incremental advantage for a higher proportion of their students. Because their business model depends on results they invest the time and effort in claiming extra time wherever they can, and it’s not a simple box tick to claim the time.