Data mishap inflates assessment of special needs students granted additional exam time by 100% - Ofqual acknowledges error
In a recent announcement, Ofqual, the UK's exams regulator, has admitted to overestimating the proportion of children receiving extra time in exams for special needs by more than 100%. This error, which spans from 2014 to 2024, has been attributed to issues with how the data was recorded and aggregated[1][3].
The mistake was caused by including duplicate applications in Ofqual's data for the last decade. This oversight resulted in an overstatement of the number of students receiving access arrangements, which includes extra time, readers, or scribes[1][3].
The revised statistics, set to be published in late 2025, will cover the academic years from 2020/21 onwards[1][3]. According to the new findings, the real figure for children getting extra time in exams is likely to be less than 14%[1][3].
The error has primarily impacted the accuracy of the reported data. However, the actual proportion of students receiving access arrangements is now found to be broadly in line with the proportion of students with special educational needs in the school population[1][3].
Tom Bramley, executive director of research and analysis at Ofqual, stated that the access arrangements process has not changed, and students who received support did so appropriately[1][3]. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, had previously asked Ofqual to look into why there was a large disparity between the percentage of children who get extra time at private schools and those at state schools[1].
The issue has become a political headache for the Government, as the supposed enormous rise in children being granted extra time for special needs has been a topic of debate[1]. School leaders have seen more requests for access arrangements in recent years, particularly in the aftermath of Covid, increased reports of anxiety and mental ill-health, and significant rises in numbers of children with additional needs[1].
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, emphasised the importance of having correct datasets on access arrangements to identify trends and changes across the system[1]. The latest figures showed an incredible 30% of children got extra time in their A-level and GCSE exams, up from 15% in 2016[1].
Ofqual is withdrawing ten years' worth of data and will re-publish the latest figures in the coming months[1]. It is important to note that the revised statistics will not affect Ofqual's other statistics[1]. The error in Ofqual's access arrangements dataset was due to incorrect reporting at a local level[1].
Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can apply for extra time in exams, with 25 per cent extra time being the most common[1]. Today, Ofqual admitted that the real figures for private and state schools will be broadly in line with their respective special needs populations[1].
- The error in the Ofqual data, which misrepresented the number of children receiving extra time in exams, has created a challenge in the political realm, as the perceived dramatic increase in children being granted such support has been a subject of discussion.
- In light of the revised statistics, it is now evident that the proportion of students from education-and-self-development, politics, and general-news backgrounds receiving extra time in exams aligns closely with the percentage of students with special educational needs within their school populations.
