Cover

Recognising an addtional learning need

ESOL - English for Speakers of Other Languages

Inclusive Practice - Delivery Staff Guidance

The ALN Referral Form

Example of a completed Learning Profile

Yes

Providing Evidence for Access Arrangement Applications

How to book a test or case study

All learners with access arrangements or reasonable adjustment will need 121 testing.

If your learner requires extra time, reader or a scribe you will need to provide evidence of the need for them in the form of examples of work. This can be done while carrying out mock tests or assessments. For example marking the assessment when the alloted time has expired but letting the learner carry on with the assessment. This provides evidence that if extra time was applied the learner could complete the assessment. Once complete send to the Specialist Team.

You have tried centre awarded arrangements but these have not helped.

We are able to carry out cognitive testing with learners. This is an assessment of their cognitive skills, it will not provide the learner with a diagnosis although the testing results could provide evidence of need that is required to apply for certain access arrangements from the awarding body. For example slow reading skills showing the need for extra time. Cognitive testing with the learner is arranged either at Gateway or in the workplace if they have a quiet room without interuptions. The ALN Coordinator will spend around 2 hours testing the learners cognitive abilities. Once complete a report of the testing results is completed. Dependant on the results of the testing the appropriate access arrangements are then applied for from the awarding body. The whole process takes some time and not all learners want to be tested so please discuss this with your learner before hand.

Guidance for Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments

Some access arrangements and reasonable adjustments are Center Awarded. We do not have to apply to the awarding body for these, no statement is required although you will need to show on the ALN Referral Form that these are the learners normal way of working. If the learner does not have statmented evidence of their disabilty we must first try center awarded arrangments. They are similar to the awarding body awarded arrangements and often work really well for learners. For example: Your learner has difficulties with time, could you use rest breaks instead of extra time for a test or case study? You can try these out with your learners while they are working with you. If they help add them to the ALN Referral form in the section for the learners normal way of working and they will be arranged for you.

Not all learners with additional learning needs will have a statement. They may not have been previously assessed for ALN or have lost or misplaced their copy. As the statement provides the evidence we must have to apply for certain access arrangements we need to provide this evidence in other ways. We are required to take a whole centre approach to collecting the evidence which means that it must come from trainer coaches, the employer, the learner and the Specialist Team. Therefore there are a few extra steps we must complete if the learner does not have an ALN Statement or Individual Learning Plan.

The Specialist Team will arrange any extra support required. This could include applying for any access arrangements indicated in the statement, allocating specialist support or arranging equipement required by the learner. You will be notified by email of any approved arrangements. All supporting documents are stored in the learners Smart Assessor Account under the ALS tab.

The guide to completing the ALN Referral Form

Guidance for Exam Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments

• Access arrangements or reasonable adjustments
• Study aids/assistive technology
• Case study support
• Adapted papers
• You think your learner may have additional learning needs that have not been previously disclosed.

• ESOL learners

To request any of the following you will need to complete an ALN Referral Form and send to the Specialist Team. These can be found in the forms section of SA.

No

Yes

Does the learner have an additional learning needs statement or Individual Learning Plan? If they do not have a copy can they obtain one by contacting their previous School or College? Please attach the statement to your ALN Referral.

The best way of finding out what support your learner requires is to ask them. Many have had arrangements in the past for tests or have found strategies for learning that they know work for them.

Supporting Your Learner

The Learning Profile is uploaded to the ALS tab within the learners Smart Assessor account and a copy sent to the allocated Trainer Coach.

Once the learner has completed the Learning Profile an email response is sent to them giving contact details for their Essential Skills Specialist Trainer Coach and/or the Specialist Team who they can contact for support or with any questions or concerns.

The Learner has declined all support - Next steps

If the learner has Essential Skills to complete they will be allocated an Essential Skills Specialist who will provide specialist support to complete any Essential Skills

Has ALN Support been declined?

Criteria for lowering Essential Skills Qualifications

WEST Assessment results are analysed for any concerns, low levels and potential adjustment/lowering of Essential Skills levels.

Additional Learning Needs

Additional learning needs are declared verbally by the learner at the start of their qualification

No

Yes

A Learning Profile is sent to all learners that have declared an additional learning need. The form requests further information about the learners difficulties, equipment required and any strategies used. The learner has the option to either complete the form in full or a member of the team will call them back and complete the form over the phone. They can also use the form to decline all addtional learning needs support.