The Additional Learning Support (ALS) team here at College is here to help you maximise your potential and progress to the next stage in your career.
We offer support across all College sites: in-class, outside of the classroom, with exams and assessments and in the wider College environment. This support is to enable you to access all the opportunities on offer and ensure you enjoy yourself while studying at Barnsley College. Whatever learning difficulty or disability you may have, we will make sure the support is exactly what you need.
We work with teaching staff, other College services and external organisations (such as TIAG, CAMHS, Sensory Impairment Team and Education Psychology Service) to provide a person-centred approach. We are also a part of the Local Offer. The support we offer is reviewed throughout the year and our aim, where possible, is to guide you towards independence.
Contact us
You can talk to us about your support needs before you apply to College, at enrolment or any time during your course. We’ll be happy to help.
You can contact us on 01226 216 769 or email us at als@barnsley.ac.uk.
What is the Local Offer?
Every Local Authority is required to publish information about services available for children and young people, from birth to 25, who have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEN/D); and also services outside of the area which they expect children and young people from their area will use. This is known as the ‘Local Offer’. The Local Offer pulls together all the information about education, health and care services, leisure activities and support.
For more information about what is available in Barnsley please follow the links:
Learning needs we support
At Barnsley College we support students with a range of learning needs including:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autism Spectrum Conditions
Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia and Dyspraxia
Hearing Impairment
Mental Health Conditions
Physical Disability
Visual Impairment
Specific conditions/Disabilities
Top Tip Leaflets
Below are some of our top tips for supporting students with the above learning need
ADHD Top Tips
Autism Top Tip
Dyslexia Top Tips
Dyspraxia Top Tips
Hearing Impairment Top Tips
Mental Health Top Tips
MLD-SLD Top Tips
Physical Disability Top Tips
Visual Impairment Top Tips
SEN Support Inclusion Toolkit
What support will I receive?
If you have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP), ALS will produce a bespoke support plan (ALS 5) outlining the support that you need at College, subject to commissioning. This may include:
- In-class support (prompts, readers and scribe)
- Mobility support
- Note-taking
- Specialist resources and equipment (laptops with assistive software, Dictaphone and reader pens)
- Spell checker
- Modification of learning materials (grade 2 braille and modified large print)
- Personal care
- Lunchtime support
- Meet and greet
- Transition
- Orientation
- Exam access arrangements
If you don’t have an EHCP but still have SEND then ALS will produce a bespoke support plan (ALS5) outlining the support you need at College. This will be provided by the department you are studying in.
Transition to Barnsley College
The Additional Learning Support team will help you with your transition to us, whatever course you will be starting in September. If you are looking to study at Barnsley College, you can choose to invite one of the ALS Co-ordinators during your Year 10 and 11 Review at school. They will be able to explain what courses are offered at Barnsley College and how you will be supported before and during your time at College.
You can come and speak to us during the College’s Open Days; we will be able to tell you about the support we offer. Once you have applied to a course, ALS will be able to offer tours of the areas you are interested in, across the many campuses. After your interview, the department may offer taster days in the summer to give you an idea of what the course will be like.
Take a tour of our Old Mill Lane campus.
To get a feel for the curriculum area you are looking at joining, take a look at our Transition Booklets
School Reviews
If you have an EHCP, one of our co-ordinators can be invited to attend your Year 10 and 11 Annual Review at school. They will offer advice on the courses offered at Barnsley College and provide you with the information on the support available to you if you study at Barnsley College.
Meet the ALS Co-ordinators
ALS also has a team of over 40 support workers that provide personalised support within vocational / mainstream classes.
Initial Assessment
Once you have declared a learning need and/or disability on your application form, ALS will contact you to organise an assessment. ALS will send out an ALS 2 Questionnaire and a confirmation letter with your appointment time, date and place. You or your parent/carer will need to fill in the ALS 2 Questionnaire with as much detail as possible before you return it back to us.
Our ALS initial assessment is where you meet one of the ALS Co-ordinators or SEN Advisors, who will discuss your learning needs and how to best support you whilst in College. During your initial assessment, the co-ordinator will use an ALS 3 to find out your about previous education and the support you had at school. ALS will produce a Support plan (ALS 5) outlining the support you need at College.
Annual Reviews
Each year at College you will have an annual review of your EHCP. At your review there will be yourself and family members/advocate, TIAG, staff from the College and other professionals. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the progress you are making at College, your mid and long term plans, what is working well, what you might require support with and your aspirations for the future. We will also review your EHCP to see if anything needs updating. The meeting will take 1-2 hours.
Last updated: 24th April 2024