Specialist support

If you feel that an impairment, illness or specific learning difficulty is affecting your studies and your wellbeing, please speak to a support officer as soon as possible. You might be surprised by just how much we can do to help you.

Our disability and learning support team can help you if you have:

  • dyslexia
  • another specific learning difficulty, such as dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia or attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder
  • a long-term mental health issue that is affecting your ability to study, such as depression, an anxiety disorder (panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, bi-polar disorder), schizophrenia and psychosis, drug and alcohol problems or an eating disorder
  • a long-term illness such as diabetes, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, cancer, HIV, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome or multiple sclerosis
  • an autistic spectrum disorder
  • a physical, mobility, visual or hearing impairment.

Examinations and assessments

We can make special arrangements to help you take exams and assessments, including: giving you extra time to sit the exam; a separate room; exam papers in different formats; use of a computer; and a scribe or reader.

We believe that changes to exam and assessment methods should be allowed if you can achieve the required learning objectives but are prevented from demonstrating this under normal conditions by your disability or learning difficulty.

So that the disability and learning support team can make examination and assessment recommendations, please:

  • Approach the team at least 10 weeks before your exam. We will try to process applications received after this deadline, but it may not be possible. Priority is given to late applications if the disability is temporary and could not have been notified previously (such as recent physical injury).
  • Provide formal, written evidence confirming a disability or specific learning disability. This must be from an appropriate expert (such as a medical practitioner). Educational psychologist reports must have been undertaken when you were at least 16 years old.

The relevant disability and learning support team support officer will be responsible for making recommendations to the school by sending a request for Learning Support Plan (LSP) to your school's office.

If your disability is expected to last throughout your studies, you only have to make one request for special arrangements; the changes will then be organised automatically at all of your assessments and examinations.

Interview practice with a member of staff

Declare a disability or specific learning difficulty

See our guide to supporting students in exams