The Local Offer SEND (ALS)

To enable all students coming to Cardinal Newman College to achieve their learning goals, the College has a dedicated and specialist Learning Support team. The team has wide experience in supporting students with specific learning needs. They also support students with the management of any special health needs or if students experience other difficulties at particular times. They also liaise with the Examinations Office to ensure that there are individual arrangements in place for examination concessions. This can include assessment for additional time, provision of readers and scribes, and the use of word processors.

At Cardinal Newman we provide specialist support for people with learning difficulties and physical difficulties, to enable students to access mainstream education. We also provide tailor-made support packages, which allow students to work at their own pace and reach their full potential.

Cardinal Newman College has an excellent support service to help students with Specific Learning Difficulties. Assessments are carried out by qualified assessors following national guidelines. Assessments identify strengths and areas of difficulty and ensure that students receive the correct type of support to meet their needs. The assessor may also recommend exam access arrangements; such as extra time, a reader or a scribe to help in exams.

Support is mainly in the form of 1:1 or small group tutorials with a tutor. We also deliver some in-class support. Support is very much student-centred and based on what each student wants to work on. We can help with such things as:

• Managing workload
• Planning and organising
• Getting ideas on paper
• Checking assignments
• Developing reading and spelling skills
• Providing access to technology to enable students to work independently

If you have a physical disability, the support that we provide is varied. You may be offered someone to support you to use all of the facilities we offer, someone to support you out of lessons, or someone to support you with lifts, stairs and getting to classes. We will work within your Educational Health Care Plan and individual assessment to ensure that you receive the support you require.

Some of the areas we can support you with are:

• A support tutor in class and/or during break and lunch times
• Support with personal care
• Support to use of College facilities such as the library
• The loan of computer equipment and software
• Environmental adaptions such as seating, rise and fall desks etc.

The College recognises the importance of pastoral support and we work closely with other areas of the College to support students, including Achievement Tutors, Counselling and Health and well-being.

Cardinal Newman College celebrates and promotes positive mental health by:

• Offering a choice of support services
• Forging excellent links with appropriate external agencies
• Creating information resources for students and staff
• Challenging discriminatory attitudes and behaviour
• Encouraging professional development on a range of mental health issues

For further information, or to arrange an appointment to find out more about study support, contact the Learning Support Manager at 01772 460 181.

At Cardinal Newman, we are keen to ensure that we reflect this mission through all our endeavours and within our Equality Policy. For more information on our Equality Policy click the link.

Details of the Local Offer from all colleges outlining SEND provision can be gained by accessing SEND Code of Practice 0-25: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

If you have declared that you have a disability on your application for University you may be entitled to support.  Please visit https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/how-to-claim. If you need assistance with the application please contact Alison Hazlewood Ext: 2015/2017.  (Additional Learning Support Manager).