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Inclusive learning support

We have a dedicated and friendly team of skilled specialists at Richmond upon Thames College who are responsible for ensuring that effective and appropriate support, including reasonable adjustments, are in place for students requiring assistance with accessing their academic studies. This extends to their progression to further/higher education, apprenticeships or employment. 

Support is primarily for students with specific needs, learning difficulties and disabilities, including:

  • Dyslexia
  • Dyspraxia
  • Autism
  • Attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder
  • Sensory and physical needs
  • Moderate and severe learning difficulties including profound and multiple learning difficulties. 

  • Types of additional learning support

    • Specialist assessors: who can screen for exam access arrangements
    • In-class learning support: this includes Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) - a team of dedicated support staff that provide in-class support to help learners access their lessons. LSAs may provide 1:1 or shared support (usually as recommended in the learner’s EHCP)
    • Communication Support Workers (CSW): our dedicated team of BSL qualified communicators. Click here to read further information outlining how this team support learners with a hearing need
    • Medical and personal care support: this includes a team of dedicated Learning and Care Support Assistants (LCSAs)
    • Therapies: this can include on site therapies, medical services, multi-disciplinary teams such as speech and language therapy and Physiotherapy according to EHCP needs
    • One-to-one teaching sessions: these help you to develop your skills in areas such as, planning and drafting assignments, proof reading, spelling, reading and numeracy
    • Drop-in sessions: for coursework, study skills, Functional Skills English and Maths, ESOL needs, dyslexia support. These sessions enable you to ask a question or get some help on anything that you think might be affecting your studies.
    • Support: for learners with visual, hearing, speech or mobility needs
    • Accessibility software: such as I-pads, laptops (with specialist software and apps such as Read/Write), reading pens and access
    • Specialists: in autism, dyslexia and specific learning difficulties
    • Transition support.

  • Specialist learning environments

    The Learning Support Workshop (G32) is a supportive study area accessible to students who have additional learning needs and high needs.

  • How do I get support?

    We ask all learners to disclose any medical conditions, learning difficulties or physical or sensory disabilities or additional learning support needs at the application stage (via the application form), enrolment stage (via the enrolment form).

    If you disclose a medical issue, learning need, disability or learning difficulty that may affect your study, we can advise you on what support would enable you to access and achieve on your course.

    You may be invited to meet with one of our specialist staff in order to discuss your needs further. We also offer advice and training to your teachers on how they can support you to access teaching and learning and what access arrangements you are entitled to in your exams and assessments.

    Once you start your course we will support you by providing reasonable adjustments, as recommended by one of our ILS specialists. If you feel that you would benefit from additional learning support you can email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Deaf support

    The Communication Support Unit provides support for students who are profoundly deaf or hard of hearing. The team provides communication support in all classes for those who have a documented need. Each student will be supported depending on his or her individual need. Support includes sign language, note taking and lip speaking. The unit offers one to one teaching support as well as access to a range of facilities to support student learning.

    Our aim is to enable all deaf students to have an equal opportunity of access to all parts of college life, thereby achieving their maximum potential.

    For further information please contact us on:

    • Manager for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Voice): 020 8909 6117
    • SMS/Text: 07900 134136 or 07824 321330
    • Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

  • Exam Access Arrangements (EAA)

    Exam access arrangements are modifications tailored to the exam settings for each student, reflecting their specific requirements and needs based on their normal way of working within the centre. They ensure that all students have the same opportunity to be successful in their exams. At HRUC we follow the JCQ and other exam boards guidance for all our exams.

    Some examples of Exam Access Arrangements are:

    • Extra time
    • A computer reader
    • Supervised rest breaks
    • 1 to 1 reader
    • Scribe
    • Smaller classrooms. 


    Did you have access arrangements in your exams at your previous school or college? 

    If so, it would be useful if you could provide a copy of the following from your previous school or centre of learning in order to help us to put appropriate arrangements in place for you here at HRUC. 

    Please obtain either one of the following as evidence:

    • FORM 8 or FORM 9 and an assessor's certificate from a previous educational provider, eg. school
    • Medical letter detailing your needs, this must be on headed paper from the NHS, this cannot be from the GP
    • If you have an EHCP, you do not need to send anything in, however if you had arrangements at school a FORM 9 would help to speed up the process. 


    Please note without the correct approved evidence, your EAAs could not be guaranteed.

    If you didn’t have access arrangements at school but think you should have done or have recently been diagnosed, you will have the opportunity to tell us. Your tutors will work with you to put appropriate Access Arrangements in place for your exams at college.

    Please send your evidence to:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Students with high needs (Education, Health and Care plans) on mainstream provision

    Students should indicate on their application if an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) has been agreed by their Local Authority (LA). An EHCP will help us to assess a student’s needs and make suitable recommendations regarding the reasonable adjustments and additional support we are able to provide.

    A member of the ILS team will attend the curriculum interview for students who have indicated that they have an EHCP. During this meeting we can advise and discuss the needs, outcomes and provision recommended on the plan, therefore a written copy of the plan is required at this point.

    The LA should write to the Head of ILS to request a placement consultation including a copy of the EHCP (in word format), which states HRUC as a named provider. We require a copy of the final plan by the start of the academic year of entry. You may need to inform the LA that HRUC is now the first choice of college, to ensure that we receive the EHCP.

    We will consider requests from the LA to provide provision for a student with an EHCP. To consider this request, we require a copy of the plan to enable us to assess whether we are able to meet the students’ needs and provide suitable provision in principle.

    Students with EHCP will be given provisional offers until we are able to formally agree to meeting their needs, as required in the EHCP.

  • Support for adult learners

    We ask all learners to disclose any medical conditions, learning difficulties, physical or sensory disabilities or additional learning support needs at the application and enrolment stage. The ILS team also assess students for exam access arrangements such as extra time, modifications to papers and more.

    Students who are 19+ years old with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) issued by the Local Authority are not required to pay course fees (i.e. tuition fees are free). Students will be required to provide a final copy of their EHCP provided by the LA as evidence.

  • HE students

    For HE students we have a dedicated Learning Support Team for students who need extra assistance with their studies. Click here for HE Students.

    You must meet the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010. The support you get depends on your individual needs and not on income. If you ticked the Disabled Students’ Allowances box on your student loan application, you will receive a DSA1 application form with your basic details already filled in. Otherwise you can download the form from the Student Finance website. If you only want to apply for DSAs and no other type of student finance you need to complete a DSA1 application form which you’ll be able to download here.

    DSA applications can take around 14 weeks to be processed. Any student who has not applied in time for their DSA funding may jeopardise their enrolment on their course, or may not have the support they need at the start of the course. The government's information on disabled students' allowance is available here.

  • ILS contacts and further information

    To request ILS: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    ILS Enquiries: 0208 607 8445

    EHCP Coordinator (including High Needs Students on mainstream programmes): Paul Smyth, 0208 607 8173 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    You can find a list of our HRUC academic policies here