‘It’s a logistical nightmare,” sighs associate headteacher Kirstie Moat after taking me through the mind-boggling complexities of the weeks ahead. Her school, Harrogate Grammar, a state secondary school in North Yorkshire, is in the final throes of preparations for exam season and it is a marathon task.
This is not about teaching algebra, or Jane Austen, or the periodic table. She’s talking about special “access arrangements” – a range of adaptations for students with additional needs who would otherwise struggle to take exams – for GCSEs, A-levels and other qualifications.
