I wonder if assessors could think this one through when making the recommendation and advise students that those with special arrangements will be in a relatively small exam room and so manage their expectations?

Sent from my iPhone

On 1 Aug 2012, at 05:40, "Simon Jarvis" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

Hello Jayne,

Our approach is to try and dissuade, as much as possible, students from having a room on their own - we've found that students are often living under the misapprehension that the choice is either main exam hall or an individual room; if we explain they are more likely to be in a smaller room but with a few other students they are often mollified.

I think at the last count we had just under 800 students with exam arrangements of one type or another and I am confident that it is reasonable to expect students to take their exams in rooms with other students unless there is a very good reason for them being on their own, e.g. they are using a reader, amanuensis or voice input software.

Looking at these issues with an employability hat on, we work with students with acute exam anxiety over the time they are here so that they can obviate some of the issues they face.

Simon

On 01/08/2012 11:23, Hey Jayne wrote:
Dear colleagues,

I have recently had a meeting with my colleagues in the exams office here at Northampton as we are in the unfortunate position where we are now unable to give every student who is recommended a ‘separate room’ for exams a room on their own.  We obviously do this for students who need a scribe or reader but for those with anxiety for example, we are now at full capacity having provided 387 rooms over the exam period last summer.

One suggestion is that instead of giving them a room on their own, we provide rooms with a maximum of five students which would significantly decrease not only the need for rooms but also invigilators which are in very short supply.

Could you please let me know if you do something similar at your institution?

Many thanks

Jayne

Jayne Hey MA
Access Ability Team Leader
Student Services
The University of Northampton
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Northampton
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Simon Jarvis
Head of Disability & Dyslexia Service
Queen Mary University of London

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