Catch22 reserves the right to amend this policy, following consultation, where appropriate.
Date of last review: November 2025
Date of next review: August 2026
What is the policy about?
This policy outlines Catch22 College’s approach to identifying, approving, and implementing access arrangements and reasonable adjustments to ensure fair and equitable assessment opportunities for all learners. It sets out the college’s responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to remove barriers that could disadvantage learners with disabilities, learning difficulties, medical conditions, or other individual needs. The policy details how adjustments are identified, evidenced, and approved, distinguishing between centre-delegated and externally approved arrangements, and ensures that all assessments remain valid, reliable, and consistent while reflecting each learner’s normal way of working.
Who does this policy apply to:
This policy applies to all Catch22 staff involved in the delivery and assessment of education and training programs within the colleges, and to all those involved with quality assurance processes and Senior Management across the provision.
Policy requirements
Catch22 must have in place the necessary systems and procedures to allow the provision of access arrangements, including reasonable adjustments. These should reflect the needs of individual learners and must also ensure that assessment continues to enable a valid, reliable, and consistent judgement to be made about achievement of all learning outcomes against the stated assessment criteria.
Reasonable adjustments may be granted in circumstances which address and help to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty which would substantially disadvantage a learner during an examination or assessment situation as outlined within the Equality Act 2010.
It is Catch22’s responsibility to have measures in place in which the requirement for a reasonable adjustment is identified prior to the learner undertaking the qualification and assessment. This may therefore be highlighted during the enrolment of the learner onto the qualification(s). Any adjustment should be based on the individual learner’s needs to access the assessment.
Catch22 has a responsibility to provide effective procedures for the identification of learners’ needs which comply with the requirements of the Disability and Discrimination Legislation. Catch22 will:
- identify learners having or likely to have difficulties accessing assessment,
- advise learners to make any adjustment needs known to Catch22 staff at the earliest opportunity, and
- ensure that Catch22 staff decide, in conjunction with the learner, what adjustment may be required as their normal way of working.
When identifying the adjustment(s) necessary, take into consideration the learner’s normal way of working and how previous assessment has been made during teaching, as well as the assessment requirements of the qualification. Once the appropriate adjustment has been identified, it will be documented for audit purposes. Any application for reasonable adjustment must be supported by evidence, which is valid, sufficient, and reliable (see Appendix 1 and centre evidence forms).
Access arrangements need to be considered on an individual basis; some learners will need more than one arrangement. This will depend on the complexities of the learner’s difficulties and the impact that this will have on their learning.
Access arrangements will also depend on the exam/assessment, therefore different arrangements maybe needed depending on the subject that is being undertaken.
Access arrangements fall under two distinct categories:
Centre-delegated access arrangements
A centre-delegated arrangement are access arrangements that can be provided by the college without permission. Generally, no formal evidence is needed, however must reflect the learner’s normal way of working within the classroom.
Centre-delegated arrangements include:
- supervised rest breaks
- reading aloud
- reading pen
- prompter
- coloured overlay
- coloured/enlarged paper
- Word processer
- amplification equipment
- Braille transcript
- colour naming by the invigilator (for learners who are colour blind)
Access arrangements requiring approval
Access arrangements requiring approval include:
- 25% extra time
- Extra time up to 50% (26% – 50%)
- Extra time over 50%
- Reader/computer reader
- Scribe
When applying for a reader and/or a scribe there can also be a request made for 25% extra time to allow for this.
For the learner to qualify for access arrangements requiring approval, there must be suitable evidence of need in place to support the application, this includes:
- an EHCP,
- a SEND/Learning Difficulty assessments or formal diagnosis,
- medical evidence, such as a doctor’s diagnosis of a learning disability or other medical need, or
- a Cognitive Psychometric report complete by a level 7 specialist assessor.
Rules for a reader
- Read the instructions on the exam paper
- Read the questions/relevant text within the paper
- Read back the learner’s responses (without emphasis on errors)
- Read numbers printed in figures (e.g. 56 would be read as fifty-six)
- Enable a visually impaired learner to identify graphs, diagrams etc, without giving any information away
- Must not give SPAG advice, prompt the learner to move on/what questions to answer, explain clarify points, decode symbols, repeat information on the test paper unless the learner asks for this
A reader cannot be used within any exam that tests reading ability – e.g. a functional skill reading exam.
A scribe cannot be used within any exam that tests writing ability – e.g. a functional skill writing exam.
Bilingual dictionaries maybe used where English is not the learner’s first language and is the learner’s normal way of working. The bilingual dictionary must belong to the centre and used for exam purposes only; this will ensure that the dictionary meets the compliance required and reduces any likelihood of malpractice. In some circumstances extra time can be approved, please speak to Catch22’s SENCo who will contact the awarding organisation for advice relating to the learners need, as this is reviewed.
An interpreter will not be permitted within any exams.
Summary
- There are a variety of access arrangements available
- Access arrangements should reflect current needs and normal ways of working within the college
- They are determined on an individual basis, subject by subject
- There are options or both centre-delegated and arrangements requiring approval
- Centre evidence forms must be completed/sent with approval requests
Learners who do require access arrangements typically fall into three categories:
- Those with a permanent or long-term medical condition, disability, or learning difficulty
- Those who have a temporary injury or illness that arises at the time of the exam
- Those where English is not the first language
Learners who do have a permanent long-term medical condition, disability, or learning difficulty are thought of in four broad areas as set out within the SEND Code of practice:
- Communication and interaction needs
- Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs
- Sensory and Physical Needs
- Cognition and Learning Needs
As mentioned within this policy, evidence of need must be in place prior to an access arrangement being applied for (EHCP/Other evidence of need, the learner information request form, and the relevant centre evidence).
If a learner needs access arrangements, however, does not have relevant evidence, then please speak directly to Catch22’s SENCo.
Related policies
This policy should be read in conjunction with the following documents:
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Policy
- SEND Policy
- Access and Fair Assessment Policy
- Admissions Policy
- Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
- Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy