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The Communicate-ed Conference 2024 - Live Virtual Conference (including EAA Update/Refresher Training) (CONFVIR24)

£100 morning only // £135 full conference and seminars - £10 discount for second and subsequent delegates

This virtual conference is for anyone involved in the access arrangements process who wants to update their knowledge for the 2024/25 academic year. It assumes a working knowledge of the JCQ regulations (for our introductory course, please click here).

For those who would prefer to access our On-Demand Video course at a date of their choosing, please click here.

For those who select the Morning Only option, Caroline Read and Rebecca Thompson will present a live Update/Refresher for the JCQ regulations 2024/25, set in the context of the changes over the last few years and the regulations as a whole. There will also be the opportunity to take part in a live Q&A.

For those who select the Full Day, in addition to the Update/Refresher for Access Arrangements outlined above, there will be a wide range of seminars focussed on different aspects of the access arrangements process. These seminars will be available to delegates for 2 weeks before, and 2 weeks after the conference date. There will be live Q&A sessions on the conference day with the seminar speakers, and handouts available to download.

There will also be opportunities to network online with those in similar roles or settings, 1:1 appointments with our experts, and colleagues from awarding bodies and the JCQ as well as time to ask questions of publishers, suppliers and software developers.

New for this year: In response to delegate requests, for full day delegates, we will now be offering a recording of the update/refresher training for two weeks following the Conference, so that you can revisit the training.

Caroline Read and Rebecca Thompson will be presenting the morning Update/Refresher Training, joined by Nick Lait JCQ and Sue Barnbrook AQA.
Seminar speaker details will be added here in due course.
Caroline Read

Caroline Read

Caroline is a Specialist Teacher who has practical experience in all areas of the Access Arrangements process and trains for LAs, Universities and SEN Services. Caroline contributed to the PATOSS/JCQ publication ‘Dyslexia: Assessing the need for Access Arrangements’, has been published in academic journals and has worked with various publishers to develop tests. She was part of the working party which set up ‘Access Arrangements Online’ and has been involved with other DfE and Ofqual training and policy projects.

Rebecca Thompson

Rebecca Thompson

Rebecca is a Specialist Teacher with more than 19 years’ assessment experience. She has a current Assessment Practising Certificate, regularly carrying out diagnostic assessment for dyslexia and dyscalculia, as well as carrying out access arrangement assessments. She is a senior assessor for the PAPAA course, supporting students with the course demands. She is a member of the APC accreditation team for the BDA and is a SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) approved CPD provider, offering a SASC approved mentoring course for diagnostic report writing and a Feifer Assessment of Maths course.

Nick Lait

Nick Lait

Nick Lait is Chair of the JCQ Special Requirements Committee. His responsibilities include the production of JCQ documents relating to examination administration, such as the JCQ publication Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments and Instructions for Conducting Examinations. Nick provides advice and guidance to schools and colleges, predominately on access arrangements. He has a thorough knowledge of the examination administration system having previously worked with Edexcel for 11 years, in both UK and International exam operations, taking a lead role in the development of Access Arrangements Online.

Sue Barnbrook

Sue Barnbrook

Sue is Special Requirements & Centre Approval Manager at AQA. She has been involved in the provision of Access Arrangements, Modified Question Papers and Special Consideration for over twenty years. Sue’s role enables her to explore and action improvements to the exam experience for students with SEN and the teachers who support them. Sue is also a member of the JCQ Special Requirements Committee.

Seminars will be available on the conference platform from 6th September - 4th October.

The seminars for 2024 are:

  • *The Effect of Maths Difficulties on Exam Performance - Rebecca Thompson
  • A Year in Secondary School Exam Access Arrangements - Caroline Read
  • *The development and administration of the Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting 2nd Edition (DASH-2) – Professor Anna Barnett
  • Supporting Students with a Visual Impairment - Joanne Fallon
  • Motivating and Preparing Young People for Exams - Lorraine Lee
  • *Three coding tests to replace the SDMT: SPaRCS, RBANS Update, Beta 4 - Caroline Read and Amy Martin

Starred seminars are SASC-approved and certificates with the relevant SACS codes will be issued in October for those who have watched those sessions in full.

The morning conference session is SASC approved for 3 hours core CPD. Delegates who attend this full session will be emailed a certificate a few days after the conference.

Some of the pre-recorded seminars are SASC-approved. If full day delegates access the SASC-approved seminars, certificates for these with the relevant SASC codes will be emailed for these as well, adding SASC-approved CPD hours.

All delegates will receive:

Live online keynote training session by Caroline Read and Rebecca Thompson (with contribution from Nick Lait JCQ). This provides comprehensive Update/Refresher Training on the 2024/25 JCQ regulations and procedures, SASC-approved for 3 hours core CPD and including live Q&A

Networking opportunities - Connect with colleagues in similar roles

Full Day delegates will also receive:

Four weeks access to a range of pre-recorded seminars - A range of seminars on aspects of exam access arrangements (several sessions SASC-approved), all of which can be accessed for two weeks before, during the conference, and two weeks after the conference. Seminars will include The Effect of Maths Difficulties on Exam Performance, a session on the DASH2 and A Year in Secondary School Access Arrangements (details of all seminar titles are here).

Two weeks access to the recorded update/refresher training - new for this year, we will give delegates access to the recorded version of the update/refresher training following the Conference so they can revisit it

Live online Q & A sessions with seminar speakers - Opportunities on the conference day to ask any questions arising from seminars

Expo - The facility to view materials from publishers and distributers, with the option to book 1:1 consultations

Individual online appointments with experts - 10-minute slots on the day of the conference, available to book in advance

How do I book?

You can book online using the form below. You can Pay online, or we can supply you with an invoice.

Book Face to Face Course

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Face to Face and Webinar Course Discounts

The following discounts are available for multiple delegates booked on the same face to face course or webinar at the same time and will automatically be applied at checkout.

2nd and subsequent delegates: £15

Book Webinar

Pricing

Face to Face and Webinar Course Discounts

The following discounts are available for multiple delegates booked on the same face to face course or webinar at the same time and will automatically be applied at checkout.

2nd and subsequent delegates: £15

Book Conference

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Do you want to add assessment?

Demonstrate your knowledge of the principles learned during the course with a validated multiple choice question assessment with a printable certificate.

Do you want to add printed materials?

If selected, these materials will be posted to the mailing address specified at the checkout. NB. PDF Course materials are included in the course price, this option is only if you wish to order printed materials in addition to these.

Please provide the number of delegates attending the course

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