Additional Support Needs

Forth Valley College works hard to support all of our students to achieve their goals during their time here.

We understand that everyone is an individual and that some students require additional support to help them achieve their full potential. You may have a condition or learning difficulty which sometimes challenges your studies.

Within our Student Support Team, we have highly experienced Learning Support Advisors (LSA) who provide learning and teaching related support to students with Additional Support Needs.

Information on support for students with more complex Additional Support Needs and our Supported Courses can also be found below.

Students who are attending a Schools Partnership course should contact schools.co-ordinator@forthvalley.ac.uk to discuss the support available.

Additional Support Needs include:

  • Autistic Spectrum Disorders

  • Dyslexia or Dyspraxia

  • Visual Impairments

  • Hearing Impairments

  • Mobility or Dexterity Difficulties

  • Unseen Disabilities (such as Epilepsy)

  • General Learning Difficulties

  • Health and Medical Conditions

Applicants are strongly encouraged to tell us of any additional support needs on their college online application.

Telling us this information before you start your course, means we can put together a support plan as early as possible, which means your lecturers will know how to meet your needs.

Already a student and haven’t told us about your support needs yet? Let us know via MyInfo or speak to your lecturing team.

Once we have been made aware that you may need support an LSA will be in touch to explore how we can effectively support you at College. They will conduct an assessment of your needs and discuss any reasonable adjustments that can be made to both the physical environment and learning materials. Your LSA will create a Personal Learning Support Plan with you which will detail any additional support that you need.

We will always ensure we have your agreement before anything is put in place.

More about your Learning Support Advisor (LSA)

What type of support is available?

  • Information and guidance for your lecturers

  • Help to access financial support

  • Access to assistive technology (e.g. electronic spellcheckers, digital voice recorders)

  • Learning Skills and Resource Assistant (LSRA) support for additional study skills

  • Course materials in alternative formats (e.g. audio or Braille)

  • Alternative Assessment Arrangements such as a reader/scribe, electronic papers, extra time

Complex ASN

What are Complex Additional Support Needs?

A child or young person who has additional support needs arising from one or more complex factors or multiple factors (needs that are likely to continue for more than a year) is deemed to have ‘complex’ needs (Education Scotland, 2019).

 

Our Commitment

Forth Valley College wants every student to achieve their goals during their time here. We understand that everyone is an individual and that some students require a higher level of additional support to help them achieve their full potential.

Complex Additional Support Needs include:

  • Social, Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

  • Communication Difficulties

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

  • Disability

Courses Available

FVC offers a range of fantastic, nurturing Supported Learning courses (full-time), each focussed on a number of outcomes, including the development of confidence, communication skills, community participation, building basic skills and skills for life, health and wellbeing capacity building, and preparation for future study with greater independence.

We also offer extended transition opportunities to give students the opportunity to experience college life while still at school. This enables the student to get to know the college and for the college to get to know the individual and their support needs. Contact your current school for further information.

Supported Learning Courses offer:

  • Smaller class sizes
  • Additional Support Workers assigned to help provide educational support in the classroom
  • Tailored curriculum provision designed around the student's needs, with reasonable adjustments made if necessary
  • Strong partnerships with local community provision
  • Opportunities for progression onto other supported employment, training and education provision

If a student requires personal care support, this must be arranged separately with an approved external agency (e.g. PLUS, Enable) before the start of the college year.

Click here to explore supported learning courses

Contact Us

Email: learningsupport@forthvalley.ac.uk

or complete the additional support needs (ASN) form on MyInfo.

Alternatively, you can speak to a Lecturer or your Curriculum Manager and they will put you in touch with the team.

Please note that if you are a student who is attending a school partnership programme then you should email: 

Schools.Co-ordinator@forthvalley.ac.uk