Communicate-ed

With GCSE and BTEC results out today, and A-Levels and other Level 3 qualifications last week, we just want to say thank you to everyone in our community who helped make sure that every student had a fair shot at demonstrating what they know — well done 👏

Book your place on our September access arrangements refresher training 🙋🏽

With JCQ introducing no new changes to the AARA this September, we've used the opportunity to focus our morning Refresher sessions on what delegates have told us matters most: practical application, real-world decision-making, evidence gathering, and inspection readiness — including the March 2026 changes.

Full day venue delegates will access SASC-approved refresher training alongside expert seminars, including:
- Assistive Technology and Exam Access Arrangements
- Extra Time in Exams - Test Areas and Procedures

Delegates joining our Virtual Conference full day get 4 weeks access to these and additional seminars covering:
- Woodcock Johnson V
- Examination Access Arrangements - Guidance for Subject Teachers
- The Role of the Exams Office in Access Arrangements: Effective Collaboration
- Supporting Students who are Young Carers

Alongside the training, delegates benefit from live Q&A and valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues across the sector.

🏛️ Venue Conferences
Manchester – Monday 14th September
Birmingham – Tuesday 15th September
London – Wednesday 16th September

💻 Virtual Conference – Tuesday 22nd September

More information and booking at communicate-ed.org.uk/conference

🚫 Myth: Having a diagnosis = automatic access arrangements

This is a common misconception we hear all the time. A diagnosis alone does not automatically result in access arrangements being granted. Arrangements must be based on evidenced need and normal way of working, with a clear link between the candidate's specific difficulty and the arrangement applied for.

A diagnosis can form part of that picture, but it cannot stand alone. This is a distinction worth reinforcing with colleagues and parents alike, since misunderstanding it can lead to disappointment, or worse, an application that doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

We produced a short video based on the JCQ document ‘Guidance for parents, cares and students about access arrangements’ that you can share with parents and students to help them understand.
communicate-ed.org.uk/parentguidance

A question we're asked often: how many pieces of evidence do you actually need on file for 25% extra time?

The focus should always be on quality over quantity 💎

If a GCSE candidate will be given 25% extra time across several subjects, three representative pieces is typically sufficient: one from a numerical subject like Science or Maths, one with extended writing (e.g. English, History, Religious Studies), and one from another subject area (e.g. short answer MFL paper).

A-level candidates need one piece per subject studied.

The assessment evidence should be current (i.e. relating to GCSE studies for GCSE candidates) and demonstrate normal way of working.

More details are available in the Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments area of the JCQ website, particularly the Supplementary guidance: Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments released in March 2026 https://www.jcq.org.uk/knowledge-hub/supplementary-guidance-aara/ and the documents ’25% extra time’ and ‘Evidencing 25% extra time (colleges)’.

And that’s a wrap on the Summer 2026 exam series! 🎉

For the students who sat the exams, it's a significant moment. But it’s also significant for everyone who made those exams work behind the scenes, and who rarely get a mention when the results come in.

To the SENCos and assessors who spent months gathering evidence and navigating JCQ guidance. To the exams officers coordinating rooms, timetables and last-minute changes. To the invigilators, readers, scribes and LSAs who showed up every day and made access arrangements work in practice. To the AA coordinators holding it all together across a chaotic few weeks.

This is your moment to breathe out. It doesn't always make the headlines, but what you do matters enormously. Those students who needed extra time, a reader or a separate room to level the playing field and demonstrate what they know — they got it because of you. 👏

Join us for our live, full-day JCQ Examination Access Arrangements Training for New Delegates on Tuesday 23rd June, led by Rebecca Thompson.

This full day course is designed for everyone involved in the AA process: Assessors, SENCos, AA Coordinators, Examinations Officers and Educational Psychologists, including those based outside the UK. The day covers the rationale and types of access arrangement, recommendations for tests and assessments, completing JCQ evidence forms, applying via Access Arrangements Online, and working through real case studies.

It's designed to help you get your head around the whole process so that you can carry out your role with confidence ✨

SASC-approved for 5 core CPD hours.
9.30am–4pm
£145

🔗 Book at communicate-ed.org.uk

Our September Conferences are only a few months away, and booking is open so you can get sorted for September now! 🎉

This year feels a little different in the best possible way. Because the JCQ won't be introducing any new changes to the AARA this September, we’ve been able to design our morning Refresher sessions around what our delegates actually want to focus on. That means more time on practical application, real-world decision-making, evidence gathering and inspection readiness — including the March 2026 changes.

Alongside SASC-approved refresher training, full day delegates get expert seminars, live Q&A and the opportunity to catch up with colleagues from across the sector. Whether you join us in person or online, we’d love to see you there!

🏛️ Venue Conferences
Manchester – Mon 14th September
Birmingham – Tues 15th September
London – Weds 16th September

🧑‍💻 Virtual Conference – Tues 22nd September

Find out more and book your place at communicate-ed.org.uk/conference26

📢 New course alert!

If you're a specialist assessor carrying out diagnostic assessments for Dyslexia and/or SpLD in Maths, this one's for you.

We've just launched our brand new course — Using the New Report Format 2025 for Diagnostic Report Writing — and it's available to book right now! 🎉

Over 6 hours, you'll get a thorough overview of the new 2025 report format so you can confidently apply it to your diagnostic assessments. We cover everything from the key changes and the rationale behind them, to test choices and criteria for assessing dyslexia and dyscalculia.

✅ SASC approved for 5 hours core CPD

Choose the format that works for you:
📅 Live Webinar — Tuesday 14th July (full day)
💻 On-Demand — choose your own start date and enjoy 20 consecutive days access

Head to https://www.communicate-ed.org.uk/drw to find out more and book your place!

Does your centre have a process for transferring Access Arrangements information to FE and Sixth Form colleges? 🎓

It's something that can easily get overlooked in the busy end-of-year rush — but for students who rely on access arrangements, it really matters. Receiving information from schools is a huge help to sixth form and FE college colleagues, who are often working to very tight timescales.

JCQ regulations are clear:
"Where the candidate changes centre, the original or a PDF of a fully completed Form 8, together with evidence of the assessor’s qualification, must be provided. SENCos must provide this evidence to assist their counterparts in FE and Sixth Form colleges. The Form 8 should be perceived as a ‘passport to access arrangements’ which travels with the candidate."

Have a think: is there a clear, consistent process at your school to make sure this happens? If not, now's a great time to put one in place before the summer transitions begin.

Feel free to share this with a SENCO who might find it useful! 😊

While students sit exams today, thousands of education professionals are quietly working behind the scenes to make those exams accessible, fair and compliant.

From gathering evidence and processing applications, to organising staffing, rooms, timetables and last-minute adjustments, access arrangements do not happen by accident.

Thank you to everyone helping to ensure candidates have a level playing field and that the integrity and robustness of qualifications are upheld for all learners.

We see you, and we know how much work goes into making this happen!