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Specialist Support

Our team of specialists will work with you, your network of support and your tutors and teachers on your programme to make sure you have the right support in the right place at the right time.

This could be through classroom adjustments, support with planning to meet your individual needs, targeted sessions that you access outside of your main timetable or 1:1 support interventions.

Find out about our autism spectrum residential centre...

weston bay autism centre

Weston Bay

Autism

We understand that college can feel overwhelming at times, especially when routines change or new environments are unfamiliar. That’s why we offer personalised support for autistic students to help you feel confident, comfortable, and ready to succeed. 

Our Engagement Specialist provides one-to-one and small group support tailored to your needs. 

This might include help with:

  • Planning and organisation
  • Understanding timetables and routines
  • Managing anxiety and sensory overload
  • Navigating college life and transitions
  • Building confidence and independence

You’ll also have access to: 

  • Low-sensory and quiet spaces
  • Support with assignments and study skills
  • Visual timetables and structured routines
  • Someone to talk to when things feel overwhelming
  • Help with meetings, transitions, and referrals to other services

Support is flexible, and we’ll work with you to find what works best—whether that’s regular check-ins, drop-ins, or messaging via Teams. You may also have the opportunity to access additional support through Weston Bay, our specialist resource offering social activities and residential stays for learners aged 18 and over.This helps you build social confidence, develop life skills, and prepare for adulthood in a supportive environment.

ADHD

We offer tailored support for students with ADHD to help you manage your learning, stay organised, and feel confident at college. Our ADHD Specialist provide a range of support from one-to-one intervention work, small group/webinar support, self assessment tools and a toolkit of resources focusing on strategies that work for you. This might include help with planning tasks, managing distractions, building routines, and developing study techniques that support focus and memory.

You’ll also have access to:

  • Online tools and resources to support organisation and time management
  • Self assessment tools to help identify areas where support may be needed
  • Flexible check-ins, drop-in sessions, and support via Teams
  • Help with transitions, routines, and navigating college life
  • Working with tutors to provide reasonable adjustments and support strategies in class 

Support is personalised and designed to help you build confidence, develop independence, and make the most of your time at college.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)

We offer support for students with Specific Learning Difficulties, including dyslexia and dyscalculia, to help you access learning and feel confident in your studies. Our SpLD specialists provide one-to-one and small group support focused on strategies that work for you. This might include help with reading, writing, spelling, organisation, and working with numbers.

You’ll also have access to:

  • Study skills and assignment support
  • Strategies to support memory, recall, and understanding
  • Assistive technology such as mind-mapping tools, speech-to-text software, and reading support
  • Support with structuring written work and breaking down tasks
  • Targeted help with numeracy, using visual methods, concrete examples, and step-by-step approaches to build confidence with numbers
  • Screening and guidance for diagnostic assessment 

Support is personalised and designed to help you build independence, develop confidence, and succeed in your learning.

Mental Health

We offer personalised support for students experiencing mental health difficulties, helping you feel understood and supported throughout your time at college.

Our mental health specialist works with you to create a flexible support plan that fits your needs.

This might include:

  • One-to-one emotional support in a safe and supportive environment
  • Exploring counselling options and helping you access therapeutic support
  • Strategies to manage anxiety, low mood, or overwhelm
  • Help with building confidence and self-esteem
  • Support with developing a healthy mindset and positive routines

We work closely with your tutors and other colleagues to make sure your support is joined-up and consistent. We also liaise with external services when needed and can help you access support outside of college.

Support is discrete, confidential where possible and designed to help you feel more in control, build resilience, and make progress both personally and academically.

Hearing Loss

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

We offer bespoke and comprehensive specialist support programmes for deaf and hard of hearing learners to ensure equal access to their curriculum. The support consists of:

  • Deaf awareness training for both key staff and peers
  • Note takers during class to support learners focusing on lip reading
  • Exam access arrangements, including extra time, reader/scribe, separate room to reduce background noise and Oral Language Modification.
  • Specialist interventions and mentoring including self-esteem and identity building, developing self-advocacy, understanding audiology, managing background noise and specific equipment such as radio aids.
  • Vocabulary sessions to support incidental language learning gaps Social communication groups to combat social isolation
  • Supporting transitions, from specialist deaf and mainstream schools to college, progressing through courses and transitions out of college to work or higher education 
  • British Sign Language support via 1-1 language learning sessions or Sign Language Society
  • Communication Support Workers and BSL Interpreters
  • Collaboration with Sensory Service Teachers of the Deaf

This support is designed to empower deaf and hard of hearing learners to fully engage with college life, build confidence, and develop the skills they need to succeed both academically and beyond.

Blind and Partially Sighted

We offer specialist support programmes for blind or partially sighted learners, to ensure equal access to their curriculum.

The support consists of:

  • Exploration of low vision devices, such as mobile phones
  • Training on ease of access functions in Windows and Apple 
  • Supporting the implementation of specialist vision devices
  • Mobility and guiding support navigating college and activities
  • Specialist interventions and mentoring including self-esteem and identity building, understanding and advocating vision needs
  • Key curriculum staff and peer awareness of sight loss
  • Notetaking to record key information
  • Exam access arrangements, including extra time, reader/scribe, separate room and modified papers
  • Social communication groups to combat social isolation and explicit teaching of appropriate social skills
  • Supporting transitions, from specialist and mainstream schools to college, progressing through courses and out of college, to work or higher education
  • Collaboration with Sensory Service Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Mobility and Independence Workers plus Guide Dogs

Whether you're just starting college or preparing for your next steps, we're here to make sure you feel confident, connected, and equipped to succeed

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One Message, Different Voices

Take a look at this powerful film made by the staff of Weston College to show how important it is for everyone from different backgrounds to be included. The film shares heartfelt stories and interviews with a diverse group of staff, showing how accepting different identities and backgrounds can make a big difference. Its purpose is to encourage viewers to think about their own biases and work towards making our community more welcoming to all. We invite everyone, regardless of their background, to join us and be a part of our journey toward a more inclusive future.

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Our workplace champions the right of staff to embrace all Afro-hairstyles. We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black employees’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance. We celebrate Afro-textured hair worn in all styles including, but not limited to, afros, locs, twists, braids, cornrows, fades, hair straightened through the application of heat or chemicals, weaves, wigs, headscarves, and wraps. In this workplace, we recognise and celebrate our colleagues’ identities. We are a community built on an ethos of equality and respect where hair texture and style have no bearing on an employee's ability to succeed.