Access arrangements are governed by guidelines laid out by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Schools have a statutory duty to follow the guidelines which clearly stipulate the following:
• 25% must be the pupils ‘normal way of working’ and the school must first prove that supervised rest breaks are not sufficient for the pupil.
• Pupils must have evidence (mock examinations and feedback from teachers) which clearly shows the use of 25% extra time.
• Pupils must have two below average scores in tests of reading, writing or processing speed.

JCQ have indicated that supervised rest breaks are often more appropriate for pupils without a diagnosed learning difficulty. Supervised rest breaks present an opportunity for a pupil to pause an exam for a short period of time and step away from their paper. This allows them time to calm their mind and settle down before restarting their time. The new guidance has a number of implications for schools going forward in ensuring pupils are provided with the correct arrangements and that evidence is on hand to support any application. Therefore, the following steps will be
taken:
• Your child will be provided with rest breaks (instead of extra time) to determine the impact on their examinations and to determine if this arrangement is not sufficient.
• Your child will be tested to determine if they have scores which may contribute to evidence for extra time.
• Discussions with class teachers and evidence gathering for individual subjects to determine a genuine need for extra time.
• Review after mock examinations to determine if extra time is needed.

Please see information sent to parents: JCQ Access Arrangement Guidelines 2025 2026

Year 11 Access Arrangements: Access Arrangements Oct 2025

The Year 12 Parents Evening will be on Monday 15th September from 3:30-5:30pm.

Please see the attached document for more details.

Year 12 Parents Information Sept 2025

Thank you for your continued support.

Over the past 4 weeks, Lisneal College has been hosting a series of “Bring Your Grown-Up” sessions in partnership with the Department for Economy, Ulster University, Abacus and Helix and IZAK9. These sessions were filled with engaging and fun activities designed to boost parents’ confidence and skills in maths. It was wonderful to see so many parents getting involved and supporting their child’s learning journey.

The Year 10 Parent/Teacher and GCSE Options afternoon will take place on Tuesday 14^th January from 12.45-3pm. There will be an introductory talk in the assembly hall for parents at 12.45pm for approximately 15 minutes. As Year 10 is such an important time in your child’s life, we would really appreciate your attendance at this meeting. It will give you as parents/guardians, the opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers first hand and consider their GSCE option choices. Choosing the right subjects for GCSE study is very important as it can impact on their future career. There will be an opportunity to discuss how we can all work together effectively to achieve the maximum potential for your son/daughter. The careers service will also be available to provide advice, support and guidance.

Home/school links are vital to a child’s success in education and we at Lisneal strive to develop that partnership in order to meet the individual needs of every child. The teachers are available to discuss progress, highlight the variety of GCSE options within their subject area and how they can best meet the needs of your child. There will also be the opportunity to discuss any issues that may be of concern to you at this point. We look forward to seeing you there and thank you sincerely for your continuous support.

Please see the link below for the letter that was sent home with your child:

Year 10 Parents Meeting

The time has come for our Year 10 students to initially select their GCSE option choices. This is an initial trawl before our option blocks are selected in January.

All Year 10 students have been sent home with an option booklet, a letter for parents and the initial trawl list. Please read this carefully with your child and encourage them to ask lots of questions at home and at school regarding these subjects and potential careers options.

This should be returned to your child’s form teacher by Tuesday 17th December.

Yr 10 Option booklet 2024

Parental Letter – Year 10 Options Dec 24

Year 10 Options Trawl Nov 2024