Learning support
Students supported by educational health care plans (EHCPs)
If your child is looking to join us and is supported by an educational health care plan (EHCP), we will create a bespoke plan to ensure transition from school is right for them.
How will we do this? By working with the family, school and other people such as Future Focus, as well as any relevant professionals.
If you wish, we can also send a specialist representative from Telford College to attend the year 11 annual EHCP meeting.
Once an application is made, and we have worked with you and the local authority who manage the EHCP to ensure that Telford College is the right place for your child, they will have chance to visit the college.
The idea is to give them a feel of life at Telford College – and where possible attend a taster session with the chosen course. Alongside this, we may also ask to visit them in school to look at the support strategies currently in place.
What else might the transition support plan include?
- Individual behaviour support plans
- Access arrangements
- Dyslexia screening
- Assistive technology assessments
- Dispensing of medication
- Mentoring and counselling service
- Medical and personal care risk assessments
Behaviour support
We understand that students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and additional needs can sometimes present with behaviour that challenges.
We also appreciate that this can be an expression of communication, or could be linked to other factors.
Our team of highly-trained staff work hard to nurture positive relationships so students can build on their strengths and positively participate.
The development of positive behaviour for all students is supported by collaborative work with families and other professionals – you will be consulted about our suggestions and strategies throughout the process.
If students require additional support to manage behaviours and anxieties, they will receive a bespoke individual support plan written by our specialist staff.
Application process for students supported by educational health care plans (EHCPs)
So, your child wants to take their next step with Telford College? That’s great news – they will be welcomed into an environment with outstanding support to help develop all the skills needed for their future.
First of all, they will need to complete our online application form. If you need some support with this, please get in touch and we can support you through the process or send you a paper-based application if that is easier for you.
Once we receive the application, our admissions and learning support teams will speak to the local authority who manage the EHCP and get the details, so we can check that we are able to meet all support needs.
This process is called the consultation process, and in some cases, we can receive an expression of interest through the year 11 EHCP annual review, before applying – and this is also fine, although we would ask you to apply through the process.
Your local authority SEND team will use the preference form or our notification of application to Telford College to formally consult with us – and this process usually starts in January.
Once we have received a consultation, we will assess the needs outlined in the EHCP to determine whether Telford College is suitable to meet your child’s needs.
If it is, they will then be taken off the ‘hold’ list and be invited in for interview.
In some circumstances following the consultation process, it might be recommended that an alternative course is explored where group sizes are smaller and the support is more intense; this will be discussed on an individual basis.
If it is decided that Telford College cannot meet their needs, the SEND team will be in touch to explore other options.
Students who need learning support but do not have an educational health care plan (EHCP)
We understand here at Telford College that students might need additional support with their studies but do not have an educational health care plan.
The college has a range of services in place to help all students access support needed to achieve career aspirations.
One of the services is our Student Centre Plus – a support hub within the college to access additional support. Services include:
- Access arrangement assessment for examinations concession
- Dyslexia screening – although this is not a formal diagnosis, the screening helps us identify strategies that might be suitable to support ongoing studies
- Assistive technology assessments
- Independent study skills
- Effective revision strategies
- Support with proof reading and coursework
- CV writing and mock interviews
- Lunchtime clubs
The Student Centre Plus is one of the designated quiet spaces at Telford College, providing a low stimulus, distraction-free environment, should students find the wider college spaces too overwhelming.
Linked to the Student Centre Plus is the Sanctuary – this space is equipped with specialist equipment and seating to promote relaxation.
We have a range of other services too. Our safeguarding team known as BeSafe can support mental wellbeing, alongside being our safeguarding officers.
They can deal with issues such as heightened anxiety, mental health concerns, difficulty adjusting to new environments . . . and much more.
Telford and Wrekin SEND information
