Our News | Day In The Life | About Supported Studies | Virtual Tour | Applications
Who do you want to be?
Discover your future with our Supported Studies programmes
Meet the Team
Joining a Supported Internship?
Our Supported Interns work with Job Coaches to develop their skills and build the experience and confidence in the workplace. Start getting to know the team before starting your course and find out more about what they do in our Meet the Team page.
A day in the life a Supported Studies student
Discover Your Future
Morning & End of Day
Work Experience
Access
Break & Lunch Time
Learning
Immersive Suite
What does Supported studies provide?
Supported studies is for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities who require discrete special educational needs (SEND) provision and additional support. Though we offer a diverse range of discrete courses, they all have in common a focus on helping you become more confident, independent and able to progress onto higher-level courses or into work. To access a supported studies course, you’re likely to have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) and would usually be referred to us by your school or Services for Young People.
We aim to prepare students for adulthood by equipping them with a range of independent living and employability skills in order to access supported and open employment. Our dedicated, specialist staff tailor our extensive curriculum offer to meet each learner’s individual needs.
After completing a supported studies course, you’ll be able to progress to a higher-level supported studies course, a vocational course at NHC, a community-based programme, employment or a Supported Internship.
We're Outstanding! ✨
Our November 2023 Ofsted report saw our Supported Studies provision graded Outstanding – one of the few colleges in the country to keep this grading over consecutive inspections.
Ofsted said: “Partnership working has resulted in highly appropriate training pathways for students with high needs. As a result of this and highly effective teaching, students move to higher levels of learning and into supported or independent employment.”
Among the many highlights, the Ofsted report also stated that our Supported Studies learners take part in a broad variety of high-quality, work-related activities including workplace visits and volunteering opportunities. Our learners become more independent as a result of their learning programmes with North Hertfordshire College.
To read our full Ofsted report, please visit our Ofsted page.
What’s been happening in Supported Studies?
Take a Virtual Tour
Take a look around our facilities for Multi Skills in our 360 degrees tours to see the specially designed spaces which provide a safe environment to study, progress and discover who you want to be.
ECC Campus: Fulton Close, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2AF. Telephone: 01462 424242.
Award-winning Provider
We were shortlisted for the prestigious Tes Specialist Provider of the year award 2020. Read more.
For three years running, we were awarded commended status for the RCU Beacon Award for Support for Students in 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.
Download our prospectus
You can download a digital copy of our latest Supported Studies prospectus which gives an insight into college life and an overview of the curriculum department.
Full details of each course are available above.
How to apply
If you decide you would like to join a supported studies course, you would usually be referred to us by your school or Services for Young People. Please call us on 01462 424242 and ask for the supported studies department or email your enquiry to CCondon@nhc.ac.uk.
Once you’ve been referred to us, you and your parents or carers will be invited to visit our Stevenage Campus to take a look around and have a chat with us. We’ll always make sure that we place you on an appropriate and relevant course. For that reason, we’ll invite you to join a taster day, where you’ll get to sample one or more of our courses, meet other members of the team and current students.
When we’ve agreed on the best course for you, we’ll work with you, your parents or carers and YC to complete your application form. After you’ve made your application, you may be invited to join additional taster days so that you can get used to coming to College before starting your full-time course in September.
Your referral to Supported Studies can be made via YC, any other agency involved with you or by your parents or carers. To join us, you’ll need a successful funding application from your local authority.
“Our daughter has really enjoyed her course, she always talks about her fantastic tutors who have made education a fun and exciting experience. The supported studies team have supported us all year and have remained in excellent contact with us throughout.”
Hertfordshire Local Offer
Hertfordshire County Council have put together a local offer containing information and resources for people with special educational needs and disabilities in Hertfordshire. Please click here to find it.
For information regarding Travel Training, please access:
We’re a Tourette’s-Friendly Organisation
North Hertfordshire College has joined Tourette’s Action’s Tourette Syndrome Friendly Scheme, recognising our commitment to developing an environment and culture that enables people with Tourette’s to thrive.
As part of the scheme, our staff completed a bespoke TA training session to further understand how we can support and understand learners with Tourette’s Syndrome.
