Our universal support provision
We’re here to help everyone learn and be the best they can be at Coleg Gwent. So, we offer a wide variety of universal support services for all learners.
This is likely to meet the needs of the vast majority of our learners, including those with a range of general, specific and/or neuro-diverse conditions and those requiring pastoral support. But if you have Additional Learning Needs, there is also further support available.
All learners have access to:
Weekly tutorials with your Personal Tutor
As a full time student, you’ll have your very own Personal Tutor who will meet with you to review your academic progress, provide support, offer guidance and encouragement to ensure that you successfully complete all aspects of your course. In addition to looking after your general welfare and becoming someone you can trust and rely on, they’ll also prepare you for you next steps at college, university or employment.
Libraries
Every student at Coleg Gwent can use our libraries. Each is equipped with books, journals, eBooks and DVDs, and you can use PCs or connect your own device to our free Wi-Fi. Staff are on hand to help you find resources and access other services such as photocopying, laminating and binding, and our specialists can help you develop your literacy, numeracy and ICT skills as well as your study skills like understanding assignments, searching for information and meeting deadlines.
Accessibility software
All student computers are equipped with accessibility software, including:
- Vu-Bar – an on-screen, slotted ruler that’s useful for dyslexic learners who skip lines or drop from one line to the next when reading.
- Thunder Screenreader – to help learners who are blind or partially-sighted to use a computer where the display is optimized for easy accessibility.
- ssOverlay – a coloured overlay for the screen where the colour and transparency levels can be adjusted to suit the learner.
- Balabolka – a Text-To-Speech program where you can copy and paste text into Balabolka and it will read the text back to you.
- Microsoft Immersive Reader – text to speech assistive technology, available in Word, Teams and One Note, and coming soon in PowerPoint.
- EdTech apps such as Canvas & Wakelet – look out for the Immersive Reader icon.
- Access assistive technology eBooks through the Learner Portal – ‘How To’ and ‘Information’ dashboards. eBooks have a ‘Read to me’ function.
Exam access arrangements
You may be able to get extra support during exams – just tell your Personal Tutor if you’ve been given exam access arrangements before (although arrangements awarded at school aren’t automatically given at college).
Access arrangements might be extra time, a separate room, access to a reader, a prompter, a scribe, use of a computer, or a combination of these or other recommendations.
Quiet spaces
For learners who have hyper-sensitivity issues, suffer from anxiety or find it uncomfortable to use busy canteen facilities, each campus has a quiet space to use at break and lunchtimes.
Young carers
We understand how hard it can be to balance your education and caring for someone. If you are a young carer, make sure to let us know as we have lots of support available at the College. We’ll listen to your specific needs and make allowances for things such as lateness, phone calls, granting extensions for your work and time out if you’re feeling anxious or upset.
