Learning support
Students supported by educational health care plans (EHCPs)
If you are looking to join us and are supported by an educational health care plan (EHCP), we will create a bespoke plan to ensure your transition from school is right for you.
How will we do this? By working with you, your family, your school and other people such as Future Focus and any professionals to ensure the plan is right for you.
If you or your family wish, we can also send a specialist representative from Telford College to attend your year 11 annual EHCP meeting.
Once you have applied to us, and we have worked with you and the local authority who manage your EHCP to ensure that Telford College is right for you, you will have chance to visit the college.
The idea is to give you a feel of life at Telford College – and where possible attend a taster session with your chosen course. Alongside this, we may also ask to come and visit you in school to look at the support strategies you currently have in place.
What else might your 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 very hard to nurture positive relationships so students can build on their strengths and positively participate within their life.
The development of positive behaviour for all students is supported by collaborative work with families and other professionals.
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, you want to take your next step with Telford College? That’s great news – you will be welcomed into an environment with outstanding support to help you develop the skills you need for your future.
First of all, you need to complete our online application form. If you need some support, get in touch and we can guide you through the process or send you a paper-based application.
Once we receive your application, our admissions and learning support teams will speak to the local authority who manage your EHCP and get all the details, so we can check that we are able to meet your support needs.
This process is called the consultation process. In some cases, we can receive an expression of interest through your year 11 EHCP annual review, before you apply – 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 your EHCP to determine whether Telford College is suitable to meet your needs.
If it is, you 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 your 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 you might need additional support with your studies but do not have an EHCP in place.
The college offers a range of services to help support all students to access support needed to help achieve career aspirations.
One of the services is our Student Centre Plus, which is a support hub within the college where you can access additional support. Services include:
- Access arrangement assessment for examinations concession
- Dyslexia screening – although this is not a formal diagnosis, the screening help us support you to identify strategies that might be suitable to support your 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, for those who may find the wider college spaces too overwhelming.
Linked to the Student Centre Plus is the Sanctuary – this space is fitted out with specialist equipment and seating to promote relaxation.
We have a range of other support services too. Our safeguarding team known as BeSafe can support your 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
