Education Support
Northern Regional College promotes an inclusive learning environment. If you have a disability, long-term medical condition or learning difficulty you may be eligible for additional support while you study with us. We would encourage you to disclose any relevant information about your learning needs. In every case, it is your decision whether you avail of any Education Support that is offered.
Students who are on an Inclusive Learning course are supported within their classes and do not need to complete the referral form.
Who can apply for Education Support?
The Education Support Team work with students with additional needs and who need some extra support. This may be:
- Specific learning difficulties e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia and developmental co-ordination delay
- Autism
- ADHD
- Sensory impairments (hearing/visual)
- Physical disabilities
- Students who have long-term medical conditions
- Students who have long-term mental health conditions
We work with lecturing staff, other college services and external organisations to provide a person-centred approach.
Types of Support
The support you receive depends on your needs. Examples of our services include:
1:1 Mentoring
Specialist Support
Equipment & Specialist Aids
Exam Arrangements
Access Arrangements for Exams
If you have exams as part of your course and require additional support such as extra time, reader, rest breaks, then you must disclose your needs at the start of the academic year. It is your responsibility to attend a needs assessment appointment and provide appropriate evidence that meet the awarding bodies’ regulations and application deadlines for exam access arrangements.
2025/26 Exam Access Arrangement Deadlines
| Exam Series | Deadline |
|---|---|
| December to March | Modified papers: 26 Sep 2025 All other L2/L3 exams: 10 Oct 2025 Access / HE / Essential Skills: 21 Nov 2025 |
| GCSE | Modified papers: 16 Jan 2026 All other exams: 27 Feb 2026 |
| Essential Skills (April) | 27 Feb 2026 |
| May & June | Modified papers: 23 Jan 2026 All other exams: 6 Mar 2026 |
JCQ Parent Exam Access Arrangements Information
How do I apply for Education Support?
Complete the 2025/26 referral form
If you have difficulty filling in the form, please email Education Support and one of our team will be happy to help you.
You will be invited to a needs assessment appointment to discuss your support needs. You will be asked to provide evidence of your needs. Examples of documents you may have:
- Statement of SEN
- Autism diagnosis report
- ADHD diagnosis report
- Letter/report from medical professional (e.g consultant/occupational therapist/speech and language therapist, mental health professional)
- Dyslexia or Education Psychologist report
- Form 8/Form 9 and Access Arrangements Online Confirmation from previous school/college (if you received exam support)
Please obtain all relevant documents from school prior to commencing course. Please upload any documents to the Evidence section of your application and select ‘Education Support documentation’.
Disclosure can happen at any time throughout a student’s time at college, but we recommend that it happens as early as possible so there is time for the support to be implemented effectively. Your information will be treated with confidentiality and held in accordance with GDPR legislation and will only be shared with your approval. It is your right not to disclose. However, we will not be able to provide support on your course or in examinations.
Transition Visits
Moving from the familiar atmosphere of school into college can seem like a daunting experience for any young person, but especially an autistic young person. The Education Support team recognise these difficulties, and we endeavour to make this transition as easy as possible.
We offer individualised transition visits during quieter times, where students can gain further information about their course, discuss support requirements and have a tour of the campus. We hope that this will ease any anxiety about transitioning to the Northern Regional College. To arrange an in-person tour of the campus, please email Education Support.
We are an Autism Friendly College and have Autism Champions on all campuses. The Education Authority and the Autism Advisory and Intervention Service have produced a series of helpful videos and a booklet to help prepare students for making the transition to college. To access the videos and booklet, please visit the Education Authority website.
In addition to this, we have prepared virtual tours of each campus site so that you can familiarise yourself with the campus ahead of any visit.
Virtual Tours
Ballymena – coming soon!
Causeway – coming soon!
Magherafelt
Newtownabbey
Disabled Students Allowance
If you are on a Higher Education course (Level 4 and above) you may be eligible to apply for additional support through the Disabled Students Allowance.
You may be able to get help with:
- Specialist Equipment
- Non-medical help
- General allowance
- Travel Allowance
For more information and to apply, visit Student Finance NI.
Education Support Contact Details
Email Education Support
Northern Regional College is committed to widening access and to providing equity of opportunity to all its learners to help ensure that all our students are supported to reach their full potential. The College is particularly committed to supporting students who have caring responsibilities, offering support to assist them throughout their education.
To provide the best possible learning experience, the College works closely with various external partners, including those in the Health and Social Care sector and other support organisations. If you are a student with caring responsibilities, you can contact the Education Support Coordinator at your campus, who, alongside the wider Student Services team will work with you to ensure you receive the advice and support you need.
Please note that you may be asked to provide proof of your caring responsibilities to access this assistance.
The College is committed to support learners throughout their educational journey at college who are Looked after Children (LAC) also known as Children Looked After (CLA), and Care Leavers (CL). We take a holistic approach to support and work closely with various external partners, including those in the Health and Social Care sector and other support organisations.
If you are a student who is in care or care experienced, you can contact the Education Support Coordinator at your campus, who, alongside the wider Student Services team will work with you to ensure you receive the advice and support you need.
JAM Card Friendly
Northern Regional College is a JAM card friendly organisation. The JAM Card is a simple yet effective tool for people with invisible disabilities to overcome communication barriers. Students at the College can download the app, free to their phone.
Further information can be found at JAM Card.
Northern Regional College works alongside AccessAble to provide an online resource giving detailed access guides to help those with disabilities to plan ahead. Access guides can be downloaded to enable students, staff and visitors view detailed accessibility information about each campus building and facilities such as library, canteen and classrooms.