Preparing Deaf Students for Exams and Leaving School
Presented on Thursday, 7 October 2010
Preparing for College
Jeanette Gillies
Learner Services Manager: Access and Educational Support
What does college offer?
- Range of subjects
- Progression routes
- Articulation with university
- Employability skills
- Different peer group
Access and Educational Support Services
- Assessment of Support Needs
- Educational Support
- Communication/Classroom Support
- Alternative Examination Arrangements
- Equipment loan
Learner Pathway: Pre Entry
- Initial interview to establish support needs
- Information collated from various sources – school, audiologist, social work
- Personal Learning and
- Support plan approved by prospective student
- Support needs communicated to department staff
- Resources allocated
Learner Pathway: On-course support
- Learners' needs drive the process
- Review and adjust support within 6 weeks of entry
- Regular meetings with educational support adviser and other staff as required
- Review and Monitor support with learner and other staff regularly.
Learner Pathway Pre-Exit Support
- Establish links with next stage – employer or other educational establishment
- Preparation for transition information if required
- Final Review and Evaluation
Funding
- College provide and arrange support for education
- DSA or additional support for learning fund
- Support for lunchtimes, social situations is funded by Social Work
- External providers need special permission
- Arrange in advance
Routes to College
- Visits – day /assessment
- School Link
- Day release from employment
- Projects – Prince's Trust, 16+ guarantee
- Course application
What to consider?
- Entry qualifications
- Career progression
- Support available
- Funding
- Peer group
- Travel
Differences from school
- Independent learning/support strategies
- Responsible for own learning and handing in of work, homework, attendance
- Learning and teaching methods
- Meet new people, new environment
- Relationship with teaching staff
- Funding for course fees and support, responsibilities
- treated as an adult, courses usually between 2.5 and 4 days in college, directed study time, transport is not provided
Roles and responsibilities
- Lecturer, communication support, course tutor, student services,
- Thoroughly research your course and college and make an informed choice
College responsibilities
- To provide the support required
- Best match available
- Reasonable adjustment
- Communicate support to lecturers
- Take account of needs of other learners
- Academic standards must be met
Learner responsibilities
- Contact in good time
- Inform people how they can best communicate with you
- Ask for support when needed
- Provide feedback to support staff
- Provide info about general deaf awareness
School-college collaboration
- Workshops from college re roles, support, communication
- Deaf-hearing awareness
- Link with college staff
- Shadow staff
Contact details:
Jeanette Gillies,
Learner Services Manager:
Access and Educational Support,
1 Enterprise Way,
Motherwell
ML1 2TX
Telephone: 01698 232305
Email; jgillies@motherwell.co.uk