SFL Dept.
Supporting pupils with assessments – alternative arrangements.
If we have screened a pupil and confirmed that there is a Specific Learning Difficulty we can offer support (known as alternative arrangements) with classroom assessments and SQA exams. The type of support offered will depend on the nature of the difficulty, but could involve use of a spellchecker, extra time, use of ICT or a reader and/or scribe. The SQA guidelines are very strict about the conditions for support and insist that it can only be used if it makes a ‘significant’ difference to the pupil’s achievement. We have to provide evidence of this, so pupils have to try assessments with and without support to show that it does make a difference. These alternative arrangements are there to give the pupils equal access to assessments, not to give them an advantage.