The word “exceptional” covers students who are exceptionally gifted whether it be in one area or several, and students who have specific learning difficulties again in one or several areas (i.e. students with special educational needs).

The College has a Special Needs Policy which complies with the Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of Special Educational Needs and allows full access to the curriculum for all students so that they can fulfil their right to a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum.

The staff aims to:

• assist in the identification, assessment and monitoring of exceptional students throughout the curriculum but initially concentrating on the core subjects
  
  
• aid in the preparation of resources and the appropriate matching of programmes of study for exceptional students
  
  
• support students in the classroom, initially concentrating on core subjects but also where there is a need elsewhere in the curriculum
  
  
• assist in the liaison within feeder schools, parents (to encourage their participation in the education and development of their child) and the community at large, drawing on the strengths of the community to help exceptional students
  
  
• participate in staff development programmes and to disseminate knowledge and research pertaining to exceptional students.

Students with special needs are subject to the same admissions criteria as other applicants.  However, exceptional arrangements may prevail for students with a Statement of Special Educational Needs.  In line with the College ethos, applications from such students are not discriminated against unless, as stated in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Discrimination Act, their inclusion in the College would be incompatible with the efficient education of others. Our College is committed to a policy of inclusion and we are keen to integrate students with disabilities.

Unfortunately, our campus is designed on several levels with many steps to negotiate.  Students who are mobile have no problem in accessing any area of our campus.  For wheelchair users, there are ramps throught the campus and a lift at the front of the building that gives access to our Business, Conference and ICT facilities.  The only area currenlty inaccessible to wheelchair users is the upper floor of Theta block.  Students in wheelchairs could, therefore, be given access to every specialist area and arrangements could be made for teaching Humanities on the ground floor of Theta block wherever necessary.  Students with disabilities are given as full an access to the curriculum as their disability will allow.  No student is barred from any subject unless medical advice is to the contrary.

Parents of disabled students are invited to visit prior to admission to make their assessment of how their child would be able to cope in negotiating our campus.

The Governors Finance & General Purposes Committee will keep disabled access under review and further improvements will be made as funding allows.