Seminars available with Virtual Communicate-ed Conference

Please find below an outline of the nine pre-recorded seminars that our Virtual Conference delegates will have access to for two weeks before and two weeks after the Virtual Conference (9th September - 7th October). Full Day Venue Conference delegates can also add access to these seminars with their booking.

Starred seminars are SASC-approved and certificates will be sent if they are accessed in full.

1. Dealing with Conflict (including communication with parents) – Lorraine Lee

The roles many professionals have in schools and colleges, often involve a level of conflict with others, which can be very draining for an already busy professional. In this session Lorraine will be examining strategies to navigate areas of conflict including communicating with difficult people or having difficult conversations with lovely people more successfully, particularly in the area of dealing with parents in relation to discussions about access arrangements.

2. Supporting Students who have experienced Trauma – Tory Barrow

Some students have experienced trauma in early life, and it can be challenging to know how to meet their needs. The influx of refugees from Afghanistan, Sudan and more recently Ukraine has increased the numbers of these students that we are seeking to support. In this seminar Tory will cover:

Some of the causes of Developmental Trauma
Behaviours and symptoms seen within school
The implications for young people who have experienced Attachment Difficulties or Developmental Trauma
Ways of working to support these young people

3. Further Education - access arrangements for awarding bodies other than the JCQ – Helen Unwin

Helen will examine the requirements of a range of awarding bodies and qualifications commonly used by Further Education Colleges and discusses some of the typical challenges faced by professionals working in the area of exam access arrangements in the FE setting.

4. Using Technology to Support Learners in Exams – Malcolm Litten

Malcolm will present the types of technology that a candidate can use in exams, when it can be used, with suggestions for specific software.

5. *Remote Assessment – Caroline Read and Lia Castiglione

This seminar will provide guidance for carrying out assessments for access arrangements over a live video call. This includes:

tips on how to carry out remote assessment
how to set up technology for yourself and your learner
information about which tests are available digitally and how to use them
practical checklists to make sure you have thought of everything
links to further reading and research

6. *Extra Time Evidence Requirements – Caroline Read and Lia Castiglione

This session will present the JCQ requirements for candidates with learning difficulties to gain extra time, (including when a reading or writing speed score can be used) and will cover information about 172 assessment measures that can be used to assess for extra time in exams.

7. Conducting a review of a centre’s access arrangements processes and polices – Lia Castiglione

Lia has supported schools and colleges by conducting in depth reviews of policies and procedures, identifying areas of strength, and those that need improvement. In this session she will explain the process she uses, including consideration of:

Access arrangements policy and word processor policy – content, audience, review process
Evidence gathering for pupils requiring access arrangements
Record keeping for inspection and internal purposes
Communications with teaching staff, pupils and parents
Resources, including assessment tools
Referrals to external agencies

8. *TOMAL 2 – Lia Castiglione

This session will focus on how TOMAL2 can be used to gain assessment evidence for extra time. Lia will discuss the administration and scoring of a range of subtests and composites, and shows how the results are recorded on Form 8. The session will include video examples of subtest administration.

9. *Form 8 - a step by step guide to completing the Form 8 2022/23 – Lia Castiglione

Lia will take us step by step through the correct completion of all 3 parts of Form 8 and point out common mistakes.

10. Case Studies Workshop - Emma Smith

This will be a live, interactive session at both the Venue and Virtual Conferences, with limited places, bookable in advance.