Learning Support Department
At Mount Hutt College our Learning Support Department offers support to our senior
students in all assessments. Students who have specific learning or well-being
needs, whether they have been diagnosed or not, can start to access support
systems in year 10 specifically for assessments. By the time students reach the
senior school this support becomes part of their formal NCEA assessment structure.
What are Special Assessment Conditions and who are they for?
In Year 10 most students start working towards the National Certificate of
Educational Achievement (NCEA). At year 10 students may access Special
Assessment Conditions for the compulsory Literacy and Numeracy Co-requisites. At
Year 11 students may undertake internal assessments at various points in their
learning. At the end of the academic year some senior students may sit end of year
NCEA examinations under regular exam conditions. Students can opt in or out of
the SAC system according to their needs. At times students may feel that the
assistance is more of a hindrance than a help.
Special Assessment Conditions (SACs) are changes to the regular exam conditions
that enable students with a permanent or long-term disability to be assessed fairly.
Students using Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) may have a medical, physical,
or sensory condition, or a specific learning disability that creates a barrier to being
assessed fairly. Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) helps the student show their
curriculum knowledge and ability by removing these barriers.
For example, a student applying for a reader should have a history of having a
reading issue and have evidence of using a reader successfully for assessments and
exams. Or a student with a broken arm needs a writer to write for them because they
have a medical certificate that confirms there is a medical need.
Special Assessment Conditions include:
Additional time to complete work.
Reader or writer or both.
Rest breaks.
Separate accommodation.
Use of technology to complete and present work (e.g., computer).
Students could use SAC for one or several of the following conditions:
Handwriting is difficult to read.
Handwriting is very slow.
Involuntary behaviours that could be disruptive to other students.
Require regular breaks.
Concentration skills may be impaired for a medical reason (e.g., concussion).
Sensory issues associated with autism or anxiety (e.g., large room, bright lights,
clock ticking, scratching writing sounds, room with different lighting) may
overwhelm the student.
What is the process for applying for Special Assessment Conditions?
At Mount Hutt College all students applying for SAC are assessed by the Learning
Support Co-ordinator in term 1 of the academic year. A successful SAC application
under school-based evidence is not confirmation of a diagnosis; only a registered
professional can make a diagnostic assessment. Students DO NOT NEED an
Educational Psychologist report to apply for SAC. The assessments done at school
along with overall teacher judgements are usually enough for NZQA to approve an
historical need for SAC. However, the final decision is made by NZQA, not the
school. The school collects evidence from Y10 onwards to support our application.
First time applicants have a different pathway with different deadlines compared with
students who have previously had SAC approved. Previous approval for Y12 and
Y13 students is called roll-over. These students do not need any further paperwork;
the school only needs to apply to NZQA to confirm last year or change last year’s
SAC. The timeline for new applications is listed below:
Feb - April: In term 1 parents are notified that their child may need a SAC
application. The end of Term 1 (12 April) is the application deadline for first time
applicants with learning difficulties as well as rollover requests for previously
approved SACs. (Sensory, medical & physical applications may be accepted until
the start of Term 4 up until the final exam day. However, these applications need
medical certificates or reports.)
May-June: The LSC will talk with students to decide which entitlements are needed
for each of their subjects depending on the student’s preference.
July - August: Choices and entitlements (the conditions the student will be using)
for external November examinations or any practice exams are to be submitted
before the end of August.
Please feel free to email the Mount Hutt Learning Support Co-ordinator, Judith
Diedricks ([email protected]) if you have any questions about the
information in this article.