Inclusive Learning

The School is committed to the principle of promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating discrimination. It is our policy to treat people equally irrespective of race, ethnic origin, sex, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, creed, disability, age or political belief.

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity regardless of age, gender, race, disability, social or economic background and increasing the accessibility and inclusivity of learning and teaching across all of our programmes, by implementing a number of small adjustments to our teaching materials and academic support.

This policy shall normally apply to all courses, unless there is a justified or statutory reason not to do so. For example, some material may not be able to be allowed to be recorded or uploaded to the Online Learning System due to a confidential or sensitive nature – this could, for example, include information relating to clients and live cases, or personal information protected by GDPR laws.

1. For courses where material is contained within the OLS, students will receive clear instruction and guidance on how to access it.
   
   
2. Book lists will be prioritised e.g. noting essential reading, and recommended reading. Where full chapters are not required, the relevant sections shall be identified by page numbers and/or section headings.
   
   
3. Lectures that use PowerPoint presentations, handouts or notes pages will be made available at least 24 hours before the session. Teaching staff will not be expected to produce PowerPoint slides if these would not normally be used.
   
   
4. Reading materials for in-class sessions will be made available either electronically or in paper format at least 4 weeks before the session.
   
   
5. Where attendance onsite is required clear maps, directions and local travel/parking options will be provided at least 1 week before the date of attendance. This information will also be available on the School website.
   
   
6. Students will be notified by email of location changes or cancellations of in-class lectures as far in advance as possible.
   
   
7. Unless restricted under data protection laws, students will be permitted to use their own equipment to audio record lectures, tutorials and supervision sessions. Where the teaching session involves a client or is dictated by the contributions of students, it is expected that permission will be sought prior to the session. Subjects have the right to refuse recording.
   
   
8. Bunching of assessment deadlines will be avoided where possible, with recognition that some students may be studying two or more courses concurrently.
   
   
9. Feedback on work can be provided in either a typed or audio format.
   
   
10. Clear communication of the School’s policies on additional time for extenuating circumstances, sickness, maternity or other types of leave will be available in the student handbook and the School website.
    
    
11. At the point of design and creation of any new course material all contributors will be asked to give due consideration to equality and inclusivity of the materials.
    
    
12. At the point of (re)validation of programmes, due consideration will be given to inclusivity and equality issues and any recommendations for adjustments documented.
    
    
13. The School will consider interest free, individual payment plans on a case-by-case basis, to make course fees manageable for those on low incomes.
    
    
14. Students on distance learning courses without access to their own computer equipment may receive the course materials in paper format and/or on a memory stick on request.
    
    
15. Students with recognised disabilities are additionally protected by our Disability Policy.

If you need help or have any questions, please contact us.