Post-lockdown we have seen a vast increase in mental health difficulties amongst students, and this has been widely reported by colleges nationwide. Often we have to pick up the pieces in Study Support, and more than ever last year, we ended up offering the most support to students without a diagnosis or previous support record. Hence we set out to proactively address the impact of Covid-19 on lost learning and the mental health of our SEND students through increased, often individualised, provision.
For our EHCP and High Needs students, we increased support for their transition through social stories sent out to them prior to enrolment. These consisted of a pictorial guide to pinpoint main areas of the College campus and easy to read descriptions of how to get to key places. This was a new initiative to support the usual transition phone calls and visits we had done in the past. As a result, our ASC students (those with autism spectrum conditions) transitioned and settled in exceptionally well - the social stories were hugely helpful in alleviating anxiety prior to starting college.
