Support Options | Process | Exam Arrangements | Meet the Team | Testimonials | FAQ’s
The Hart Learning Group has an excellent reputation for our inclusive practice and quality of opportunities. In fact, our Additional Learning Support provision was graded Outstanding in our 2023 Ofsted inspection!
The ALS team helps students achieve their learning goals by supporting them inside and outside the classroom through a variety of methods. Their fully inclusive approach involves creating adapted learning materials, sourcing accessible technology, face-to-face and group support, and changes to the way information is delivered, depending on the needs of each learner.
Our ALS team are here to support you to overcome any challenges you may face and become more independent in your learning by providing support tailored to you as an individual. They’re trained to support students with a range of needs.
Our Student Services teams are also available to provide pastoral support if needed.
Leaving school and starting college can be a worrying time. To help you feel more comfortable about the process, we would love to invite you for a tour of your campus to see the facilities for yourself and meet our team.
If this is something you’d be interested in, please give us a call or email our team to arrange an appointment!
The support options available to you will vary depending on your individual needs, as detailed in your EHCP.
There are five main categories of Additional Learning Support at NHC:
For more detail about what these options involve, please download our guide, use the link below.
Before you join college for the first time, our teams will have received your Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) if you have one. If you do not have an EHCP but have additional needs, please contact ALS for further information.
Once ALS have assessed the information you have shared and liaised with the curriculum team, parents/carers as appropriate, an individual support plan will be created for you. This may include assistive technology and training on how to use it, in-class support, adapted learning materials, and out of class support.
This is all part of the UK Government’s SEND review (2022), to provide the “right support, right place, right time.”
Independent learning empowers students to become life-long learners who actively seek knowledge and take charge of their education. Our Additional Learning Support team promotes this independence by offering support when you need it, guidance on self-study, strategies, and routines that help you achieve.
You will also have regular opportunities to talk about your progress and gain specific feedback. This will be offered by your course tutor and ALS team members.
If you have had exam access arrangements in the past, you may be entitled to have these again at NHC. You will need to bring medical evidence or a signed ‘form 8’ from your previous educational setting and share it with ALS staff by the end of September. Please note that further testing might be required to fulfil JCQ awarding body regulations.
If you wish to discuss your support needs, please talk to your tutor, or contact our ALS team via als@nhc.ac.uk or by calling us on 01462 424343.
The ALS team support across all vocational areas and on all sites. We have support teams at Hitchin, Stevenage and the Engineering and Construction campuses. In addition to a large team of Inclusion Assistants, we have a Head and Deputy of ALS, 6 Coordinators, an Access Arrangement manager, an Access Arrangement assessor and a specialist administrator.
Alison Brazier, Kay Smith and Blendina Meqa (ALS Coordinators) support a large team of Inclusion Assistants who work with learners to achieve in their chosen course and have an excellent experience of college. The vocational areas they support are Hospitality and Catering, Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy, Creative Industries, Sport, Travel and Tourism, Business, and Protective Services.
Jenny Woolnough and Virginia Hancock (ALS Coordinators) support a large team of Inclusion Assistants who work with learners to achieve in their chosen course and have an excellent experience of college. The vocational areas they support are Education and Early Years, Health and Social Care, Computing, Networking and Design, and Science.
Isabelle Harris and Virginia Hancock (ALS Coordinators) support a large team of Inclusion Assistants who work with learners to achieve in their chosen course and have an excellent experience of college. The vocational areas they support are Multi – Skills, Motor Vehicle, Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrical and Bricklaying.
In addition, we are supported by a team of SEND professionals who guide our practice and support of learners.
Our central EHCP team comprising of Lucy Godshaw (SEND Partnership Manager) Geri Brewer (SEND Assessment Manager), Christine Alfred, Laura Dorill and Terri Parkinson (SEND EHCP and Assessment Coordinators). They are on hand to expertly support learners and families with the EHCP review process, and recording of progress as needed.
Our strategic lead for SEND is Lara Mathie (Director of Curriculum for SEND) who oversees the development of inclusive practice within ALS, Supported Studies, Springboard (the specialist SEND provisions) and across all vocational curriculum areas at NHC/HLD.
“The support I’ve received has been outstanding. When joining the College, I had no confidence in my abilities; however after these 4 years that has completely changed because of ALS support. and will now give me the possibility of going to university in September”
“All curriculum areas at NHC offer dedicated ALS and the students that I meet are all supported to achieve the qualifications of their choice and to plan for their next steps. For some young people, college has given them a second chance to succeed in education due to the learning environment and the effective support that is put in place to meet their needs. ALS Coordinators and Learning Support staff work tirelessly to help students to make progress every step of the way throughout their learning journey at NHC.”
“If I have any issues with assignments, help with forms etc. they have always gone beyond to help me, which I am highly grateful for!”
“Thanks for your continuous support, I am grateful.”
“Over the last three years, the SEND support at North Hertfordshire College has been outstanding for our son. His Inclusion Assistant has provided exceptional care and assistance, ensuring his needs are met and enriching his academic and personal growth. We are grateful to the whole team who have made the college experience so accessible and enjoyable.”
"My son has been at NHC for three years now, and I can honestly say he’s unrecognisable from the teenager that started there. With the support of the ALS team, he has gained independence, maturity, and life skills. The whole team have repeatedly gone above and beyond for him as well as me.”
"As a professional supporting the family, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the exceptional support, inclusivity, and flexibility consistently demonstrated by your team. In my experience, it’s rare to encounter such a dedicated and accommodating approach."
“We cannot thank the College enough for everything they have done. Their impact on my son’s life has been profound, and he simply would not be where he is today without their exceptional support. They have not only helped him achieve his educational goals but have also restored his belief in himself and his future".
We work to identify individual student’s needs early in the application process. This referral can be made via your current educational setting / school, at our open events or college tours, through your EHCP, when you apply for your course, or during your interview.
You can also contact us via email or over the phone to discuss your individual needs.
To email us, please send a message to als@nhc.ac.uk
To speak to our team over the phone, please call 01462 424343 and ask to be put through to the ALS team.
There are a range of support options available to you as a North Hertfordshire College student. These include:
For more information about the types of support available, please download our guide to ALS support at NHC.
As an apprentice with NHC, you can receive support through assessments and apply for Exam Access Arrangements. Once these have been identified, your course tutor will implement any strategies under the guidance of the ALS team.
No, you don’t need an EHCP to receive Additional Learning Support from NHC. You may be eligible for learning support if you have, or are receiving a diagnosis of:
If you have an additional need that isn’t included in this list but think you may still be entitled to ALS support, then please get in touch with our team to discuss your options.
You can view all our policies regarding North Hertfordshire College’s Additional Learning Support provisions on our Policies page.
Hertfordshire County Council have put together a local offer containing information and resources for people with special educational needs and disabilities in Hertfordshire.
For information regarding Travel Training, please access:
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.
