The Equality Act 2010 protects people with disabilities, including many SEND students, from discrimination, but it is not clear that current forms of assessment, and in particular examinations such as GCSEs, are consistent with these protections.
The focus on exams can unfairly disadvantage SEND students, which can harm wellbeing and mental health, and affect outcomes in later life. Many SEND students are of high ability but this may not be captured by examinations. Dyslexic students can achieve high academic marks but may perform poorly in exams. Exams can also make neuro diverse young people stressed and anxious. The Government should review how students are assessed and implement reforms to ensure SEND students suffer no detriment.