Notifications Gateway available for applications
Schools can use the Notifications Gateway to make SAC applications for students at any level.
Using the Notifications Gateway is optional for schools.
If a school uses the Notifications Gateway, NZQA doesn’t have to approve the SAC provisions before students can use them. The school doesn’t have to submit any supporting evidence, unless NZQA requires this as part of a monitoring process.
Schools can also choose to use the current Approvals Gateway for any applications.
Schools may wish to choose the choose the Approvals Gateway if the SENCO is new or inexperienced, or if the school prefers a decision by NZQA.
Guide for submitting online SAC applications
You can download the guide for submitting SAC applications online:
On this page
Restrictions on the Notifications Gateway
NZQA reserves the right to restrict access to the Notifications Gateway, if we think we need to. Restrictions could be for certain schools, or for certain categories of SAC applications.
Schools must use the Approvals Gateway to apply for:
- braille papers
- Signing Readers
- Signing Supervisors.
What schools must do if using the Notifications Gateway
Schools need to:
- identify students with learning or other difficulties that impact on fair assessment
- design inclusive environments influenced by what they know about students
- monitor students’ progress and trial supports as needed
- discuss the option of SAC with students and their whānau
- gather evidence of students’ needs
- use one of the gateways to tell NZQA what SAC students need.
Deciding whether to use the Notifications Gateway
The senior leaders in each school should consider their own policy on using the Notifications Gateway. It may be better if some or all applications continue to be submitted through the existing Approvals Gateway.
A school may want to use the Approvals Gateway to:
- get feedback on how suitable the requested SAC provision is and inform judgements made by the school’s SENCO (useful for less experienced school staff)
- determine if SAC is appropriate for a specific student when the school is not sure
- get a decision when the school and whānau disagree on what SAC a student needs.
By using the Approvals Gateway, schools, students and whānau get an independent view on the best way to meet the student’s needs.
If a school decides to only use the Approvals Gateway, NZQA can temporarily remove access to the Notifications Gateway on request.
Please contact us to discuss this:
Requesting additional SAC beyond standard options
If a school wants to request SAC for a student that goes beyond the standard options available for that condition, NZQA staff need to look at this request.
There are two options to make sure NZQA staff will see the extended request:
- Use the Approvals Gateway to make the application.
- Use the Notifications Gateway to make the application. Then open the submitted application by clicking the NSN and use the Notes and Messages section to make the request.
SAC applications for Literacy and Numeracy and Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessments
Schools don’t need to make a SAC application or notification for students who are only completing the NCEA co-requisite assessments for literacy, numeracy, te reo matatini and te pāngarau.
Schools should provide SAC support for these students as appropriate.
However, if a school needs to confirm what SAC is appropriate, they can submit a SAC application.
SAC provisions for Literacy and Numeracy and Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau assessments