General student support

• Practice English and Maths topics you find challenging with the study coach,
• Meet a career's advisor to talk about your next steps,
• Apply for a bursary if you need help to pay for the costs involved in being a student.
• Every class has a progress coach. You will probably have a one to one meeting with them once a term to talk about how the course is going.

This is the social area. They are fixing it over the summer. Hopefully it will look much nicer when you come here.

SEND / autism support

• Access to the green room whenever you need a break. Some people have a red card they put on their desk when they leave the room. You can talk to Michelle and Claudia if you need help.
• Some classes have a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) some of the time as well as a teacher. This depends on the class and what they need. LSAs can also support students one to one. An LSA can:
• Break down the task and help you understand what to do,
• Check in to make sure everything is going okay,
• Talk to the teacher if there is a problem.
• Exam arrangements (like extra time, rest breaks or a scribe) to help you access exams. There isn't a big exam hall at college, so most people do exams in the classrooms. I find that a lot easier!
• Adjustments. An adjustment is a change that the college makes to help you access something. Some teachers may be flexible and let you go with what works, but it can help to get it written down so everyone understands why you need that change.

Extra support if you have an EHCP

Most people who get this support will have an EHCP from the council.

• Independent living support. This can help you learn life skills like cooking or managing money.
• Help from occupational therapy, speech and language therapy or physiotherapy.

I need something else

It is not unusual for students to need different things when they start college. You can email supportforlearning@abingdon-witney.ac.uk to ask about any specific needs. Or, ask about it on an open day (there will be opportunities to have a chat about your support needs before you apply). You probably wont be the first person to ask your question!

You might just need more information. It is hard to know what you will need when you have never done college before! But you can always talk to Michelle, Claudia or your tutor if you need a bit more support.