Support service for students

During the pandemic the Academic Achievement Coach will be continuing to offer support. Progression Coaches and Programme Leaders have been communicating with learners who are needing additional support to maintain achievements at expected grade levels.

Support is offered through a range of means depending on the access to resource each learner has and their preferred way of working.

The Academic Achievement Coach has used VLE through Canvas, Skype, email and telephone to support.

For HE learners who require academic support with any aspect of research and writing, please click here.

Our team of SSOs support students in receipt of the Disabled Students’ Allowance. They also support those who will be progressing from a Level 3 qualification who would be entitled to the DSA once becoming a student in Higher Education (HE). Students with a range of difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD, Autism etc. can access this support which focuses on the development and improvement of study skills, such as efficient proofreading and extracting relevant information from academic text, once their DSA has been agreed or evidence from a L3 programme is available.

The Disability Officer supports all students in ​making a DSA application, which can involve guidance on filling in the correct application forms and the acquiring of appropriate evidence. They also liaise with external agencies such as Student Finance England, the DSA team and Needs Assessors, again with the purpose of supporting students in their DSA application. Disability Officers also assist with the allocation of resources and liaise with both exams staff and curriculum staff to ensure all reasonable adjustments are in place if required and advise on support resources for the wide range of students.

The Disability Assessor provides in house assessments for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. The diagnostic report that is produced as a result of the assessment can not only be used to inform relevant internal staff of support strategies and examination access arrangements that would benefit their students but is essential in providing evidence for Higher Education students to access the Disabled Students’ Allowance on the basis of having a specific learning difficulty. The assessor liaises closely with both internal staff and external teams such as Needs Assessment Centres to ensure a seamless journey for students from the time they are made known to the assessor (which occurs via many routes), to the point where the application is completed and relevant resources are in place.

This information has been moved to our no detrimental approach page