2017 Formal Assessment Arrangements for Pupils with English As an Additional Language (EAL)

2017 Formal Assessment Arrangements for Pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL)

In general, EAL learners are expected to take national tests and statutory assessments. In assessments and tests relating to National Curriculum English, learners' answers are required in English. Some access arrangements can be made in other subjects, such as mathematics. If learners are beginners in English, whilst they will be registered for the tests, they are not required to sit the tests if they are working too far below the expected level and will be coded as working below the level of the test. So, for example, for the Phonics Check, pupils should not take the check if they have recently moved to the country and are unable to understand letters and sounds in English.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

Phonics Screening Check

Pupils shouldn’t take the check if they have recently moved to the country and are unable to understand letters and sounds in English.

Teacher Assessment (reading, writing, maths and science) Key Stage 1

Teachers may not be able to provide a full TA judgement for some pupils, for example if they have recently arrived from overseas. ‘A’ - pupil absent to be used when a pupils is absent or there is not enough information to provide a TA judgement. If a pupil is working below the standard of the interim pre-key stage standards but does not have SEND then ‘BLW’ and ‘NOTSEN’ must be used.

Teacher Assessment (reading, writing, maths and science) Key Stage 2

Key Stage 2 Tests Registration- ‘J’

Schools may not have enough time before the tests to determine a pupil’s abilities and whether they are working at the overall standard of the tests. Where this is the case, the pupil must be registered in the ‘Pupil registration’ section of NCA tools but should not take the test. They should then be marked as ‘J’ (just arrived) on the test attendance register provided with the test materials.

Some examples of pupils who may fit this category are included below:

pupils who have arrived in school during the weeks immediately before the tests
pupils who have come from a different education system

English Tests

If pupils cannot communicate in English then they will be working below the overall standard of the English tests and should not take them.

For EAL pupils taking the tests, you should bear in mind that:

oral and written translations of the questions can’t be given
no help may be given with reading or understanding the questions or passages of text on which questions are based
only the general instructions on the front cover of the question paper and any directions that are not part of the actual questions can be translated

Mathematics tests

To establish a pupil’s abilities in mathematics, teachers and language-support staff should work together to translate national curriculum work into the pupil’s preferred language. Care should be taken to ensure that any translation does not provide additional support or understanding of mathematical terms. If a pupil is working at the standard of the mathematics tests, the school should administer the tests using the access arrangements summarised in the Assessment and Reporting guidance.

Pupils may read the tests in English and answer:

in English
in their first language

Oral translations may be given by a translator at the time of the tests. This must be on a one-to-one basis. If a pupil answers orally, this must also be on a one-to-one basis. If a pupil reads in English and answers in their own language, a transcript should be made by the pupil’s usual translator. The pupil’s original test script must be sent to the marker along with the translated test script. Your headteacher must also complete the new notification form to say that a transcript has been made. This is available on the ‘Access arrangements’ section of NCA tools from Thursday 11 May. Don’t send a copy of the form with your test scripts as this will slow down the marking process.

If written translations are normally provided in class, they should be made during the hour before the test is due to start. If, due to exceptional circumstances, it is not possible to do this, an application must be made to open materials 1 day early.

In the Standards and Testing Agency guidance document it says,

‘Access arrangements may be appropriate for pupils:

with a statement of SEN or an Education Health and Care Plan as described in the SEN Code of Practice at www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-educational-needs-sen-code-of-practice or a local equivalent
for whom provision is being made in school using the SEN Support system and whose learning difficulty or disability significantly affects their ability to access the tests
who requires alternative access arrangements because of a disability (which may or may not give rise to a special educational need)
who is unable to sit and work for a long period because of a disability or because of social, emotional or mental health difficulties
with EAL and who has limited fluency in English’

Schools must make sure they have documentation to show that a pupil is eligible for access arrangements. This must include evidence that resources are routinely committed to providing this support in the classroom. Schools must be able to show the documentation if they have a monitoring visit. If schools use access arrangements for a pupil inappropriately, the pupil’s results may be annulled.

Written or oral translations (for maths)

The use of written or oral translations for pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) must be normal classroom practice. You must have evidence to show that resources are routinely committed to providing this support.

You don’t need to request permission from STA or your LA to make translations.

The headteacher is responsible for assuring the quality of any translation made. Translations should be made at the time of the test.

Translators

Translators need to bear in mind that pupils with EAL may not be familiar with some subject vocabulary and technical terms in their preferred language. You should advise accordingly. A translator must not be a relative, carer or guardian of the pupilrequiring a translation. Inappropriate use of translators may lead to annulment of the pupil’s results.

Additional time application form

Additional time to complete the tests may be appropriate for pupils who:

use additional time as part of normal classroom practice
are working at the standard of the KS2 tests
use the standard versions of the tests

The form which schools must use to apply for pupils to have additional time for the key stage 2 national curriculum tests must be completed on the NCA tools website at https://ncatools.education.gov.uk/Home.aspx. The form will be available from 30 January 2017. Question 1:

‘Can the pupil respond appropriately to a simple request or instruction given in English without being prompted or aided by an interpreter or translator?’

All 7 questions must be answered before the application form is submitted.

Key Stage 4

JCQ- Examination Access Arrangements for Learners of English as an Additional Language

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has released updated access regulations with effect from the 1st September 2016 to 31st August 2017. Within these regulations, there are some key points to consider for students for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL) (p71-p73).

Bilingual translation dictionaries with 10% extra time

There is not a requirement to process an application for a bilingual translation dictionary using Access arrangements online or to record the use of the arrangement. No evidence is needed to support the arrangement.

However, for the use of a bilingual translation dictionary with 10% extra time an application must be submitted using Access arrangements online (for GCSE qualifications only) prior to the candidate’s first examination.

Appropriate evidence of need must be available at the centre for inspection. The evidence must be compiled by the EAL Co-ordinator or the SENCo.

Bilingual translation dictionaries

A bilingual translation dictionary must:

only be used in examinations by candidates whose first language is not English, Irish or Welsh; and
reflect the candidate’s normal way of working within the centre.

Unless an awarding body’s specification says otherwise, a bilingual translation dictionary may be used in GCE AS, A2 and A-level examinations. However, such dictionaries must not be used in:

English Language examinations;
Irish or Welsh Language examinations; and
Modern Foreign Language examinations testing one of the languages of the dictionary or a similar language, e.g. a Portuguese dictionary in a Spanish examination.

Additionally, due to the assessment of spelling, punctuation and grammar a bilingual translation dictionary must not be used in:

GCSE English Literature examinations;
GCSE Geography examinations;
GCSE History examinations; and
GCSE Religious Studies examinations.

Exceptions to these rules are:

The Writing Test in GCSE Arabic, GCSE Bengali, GCSE Dutch, GCSE Greek, GCSE Gujarati, GCSE Japanese, GCSE Modern Hebrew, GCSE Panjabi, GCSE Persian, GCSE Polish, GCSE Portuguese, GCSE Russian and GCSE Turkish where the specification states that all candidates must have access to a bilingual dictionary.

Functional Skills English examinations – where the use of a bilingual dictionary is permitted.

A standard bilingual translation dictionary must be used by the candidate. This may be an electronic bilingual translation dictionary or more typically a hard copy paper bilingual translation dictionary. Monolingual dictionaries (which define words and phrases), translators (including web based translators), wordlists or glossaries must not be used.

The bilingual translation dictionary must not:

contain/display pictures; or
provide an explanation or clarification of words and phrases.

As an example, a Polish to English bilingual translation dictionary must simply be the word in Polish and the equivalent word in English.

Bilingual translation dictionaries to be used in the examination must be:

held in the centre under secure conditions; and
thoroughly checked to ensure that no unauthorised information such as notes and revision data have been enclosed within or written on the pages of the dictionary.

A candidate using a bilingual translation dictionary which contains notes or revision data will lose their marks and their right to this access arrangement.

Translation of examination material or the candidate’s answers into or from the candidate’s first language will not be permitted. The regulations for the use of bilingual translation dictionaries must be adhered to; failure to do so can lead to the disqualification of the candidate.

The application of 10% extra time when a candidate uses a bilingual translation dictionary (this will be in rare and exceptional circumstances)

A bilingual translation dictionary and 10% extra time is only available to candidates entered for the following qualifications:

Cambridge Nationals;
Entry Level Certificate (ELC);
Essential Skills (Wales and Northern Ireland);
Functional Skills (Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2);
GCSE;
Key Skills (Northern Ireland).

A bilingual dictionary and 10% extra time is not available to candidates entered for AQA Level 3 Technical qualifications, Cambridge Technicals, GCE AS qualifications, GCE A-level qualifications and OCR Level 3 Certificates.

In rare and exceptional circumstances GCSE candidates who are permitted to use bilingual translation dictionaries may also be allowed 10% extra time, depending on need, if they have been resident in the UK for less than three years at the time of the examination(s). Holiday periods are included in the three year rule.

The centre must determine the needs of the individual GCSE candidate. Not all GCSE candidates for whom English is an additional language will need to use a bilingual translation dictionary. Very few bilingual translation dictionary users will need to have extra time. This is an arrangement specifically for a GCSE candidate who entered the United Kingdom less than three years before the time of the examination(s), with no prior knowledge of the English Language.

In subjects where a dictionary is not permitted, 10% extra time will not be available.

Extra time must only be awarded where all of the following exist:

the candidate’s first language is not English, Irish or Welsh;
the candidate entered the United Kingdom within three years of the examination(s) with no prior knowledge of the English Language;
English is not one of the languages spoken in the family home;
prior to their arrival in the United Kingdom the candidate was not educated in an International school where some or the entire curriculum was delivered in English;
prior to their arrival in the United Kingdom the candidate was not prepared for or entered for IGCSE qualifications where the question papers were set in English;
prior to their arrival in the United Kingdom the candidate was not prepared in English for other qualifications, e.g. IELTS qualifications;
the candidate has to refer to the bilingual translation dictionary so often that examination time is used for this purpose, delaying the answering of questions;
the provision of 10% extra time reflects the candidate’s usual way of working with the dictionary.

The evidence compiled by the EAL Co-ordinator or the SENCo must confirm all of the above.

Extra time must not be awarded to a candidate using a bilingual translation dictionary in order to compensate for difficulties in reading and writing in English.

Pupils Discounted from Performance Tables

Source: Raiseonline

Schools are allowed to request of the DfE the discounting of pupils at KS2 and KS4 who recently arrived from overseas from the performance tables. If the school requests the discounting of a pupil from the performance tables during the checking exercise and they meet the criteria below, then that pupil will be excluded from all calculations at school and LA level (but included in the national figures).

Criteria for discounting from performance tables.

Pupils can be removed from our calculation of performance measures if:

they were admitted to an English school for the first time on, or after, the start of the 2015/2016 school year (considerations can be made where a pupil has been placed at another school for an interim period while awaiting immigration status); and
they arrived from overseas prior to their admission; and
English is not an official language of their country of origin.

The DfE will write to each school with instructions and information on the performance tables data checking exercise in 2017. If schools have queries about the performance tables or the data checking exercise, they should contact the DfE’s national enquiry line on 0370 000 2288.

Results for 2017 will not be published in RAISEonline. The DfE will communicate the new arrangements to schools and intends to:

build a new ‘core’ online service that, as a minimum, provides schools with access to headline measures and key underlying pupil level performance data
provide support for the market’s delivery of additional services that schools can procure if they choose to

Also note that most pupils without prior attainment data are excluded from the expected progress measure. Exceptions are where it can be clearly seen from a pupil’s end of key stage 2 or 4 results whether or not they have made at least two or three levels of progress respectively e.g. a pupil achieving level 6 at the end of KS2 or a pupil achieving a grade B or above at the end of KS4 cannot have failed to have made expected progress.

Guidance on these measures can be found at:

Key Stage 1 - 2

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-performance-tables-supporting-documents-key-stage-2

Key Stage 2 – 4

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-performance-tables-documents-key-stage-4

December 2016. Peta Ullmann