Student Support Services

At Point Blank, we want all of our students to feel welcomed and supported throughout their studies. To this end, we provide support to enrolled students who have specific learning difficulties and disabilities. This page outlines what specific learning difficulties and disabilities are and the type of support we can offer. There is also information on how to access support and how to apply for disabled student allowance.

WHAT IS A SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTY?

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) refer to conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADHD/ADD which affect the way a person learns and processes new information. Specific Learning Difficulties are not related to intelligence and do not determine one's academic ability. The severity of one's condition can vary from mild to severe. The most common SpLDs are defined below:

• Dyslexia is thought to be a genetic condition that affects reading, writing and spelling skills. Most people with dyslexia have the condition from birth and it often occurs alongside other conditions. You can find out more on the British Dyslexia Association's website.
• Dyspraxia is a developmental disorder which affects coordination. This condition can cause social and organisational difficulties and the specific difficulties that are experienced can change over time. For further information visit the Dyspraxia Foundation website.
• Dyscalculia refers to a long-term difficulty in learning and understanding arithmetic, therefore it can be challenging for people with dyscalculia to deal with numbers. This disorder often occurs alongside other developmental disorders such as Dyslexia. More information can be found on the British Dyslexia Association's website.
• ADHD/ADD is a behavioural disorder that causes difficulty in concentration and can be characterised by impulsive decisions and hyperactivity. This condition is often found in people with other conditions such as anxiety, depression and autism. To read more about this condition, you can head to the NHS website.

WHAT IS A DISABILITY?

A disability is a long-term condition that affects someone physically or mentally and impairs their ability to carry out everyday activities. Disabilities can affect an individual's ability to move, see, hear, communicate and learn. It can also impact social relationships and mental health. Examples of common disabilities are outlined below:

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder is a term that encompasses a range of conditions that affect a person's social skills, communication and behaviour. An example of these conditions is Asperger's Syndrome. The spectrum refers to how autism affects people in different ways, some people with autism will have similar difficulties, whereas others will differ. People with autism often have other difficulties such as SpLDs and other disabilities. The National Autistic Society provides further information.
• Mental health issues refer to common conditions such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and stress. Other severe conditions include schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders. Mental health problems are experienced by 1 in 4 adults in Britain and often people do not declare mental health difficulties as they do not see them as a disability. It is important to note that even if a person feels well, they should still be regarded as having a disability if there is a possibility that adverse effects could re-occur. Useful information about mental health can be found on Mind's website.
• A visual impairment is defined as when a person's vision is limited or reduced and cannot be corrected, for example, by the use of glasses or by surgery. This type of condition often occurs alongside a learning or physical disability, and often has a high impact in its occurrences. The diagnosis is based on severity of condition - sight impaired ("partially sighted") or severely sight impaired ("blind"). For more information, please see the RNIB website.
• Acquired brain injury (ABI) refers to damage to the brain that has occurred after birth for example from an accident or a health issue such as a tumour or stroke. The effects of ABI can vary depending on the type of injury that has been sustained. The Brain Injury Society provides more detail about head injuries.

SUPPORT WE OFFER

Depending on your condition, we can offer a range of support. Examples of support and adjustments we can offer are:

• Academic writing support
• Change of assessment method
• Speech recording / recognition technology
• Help with time management and organisation
• Practical arrangements

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and other support may be provided on request.

HOW TO ACCESS SUPPORT

If you believe that you have a specific learning difficulty or disability, it is important that you declare this to us. This means that you will be able to access support which will facilitate your learning. You can declare before you begin your studies or at any time over your course of study, however we would encourage declaring as soon as possible so that you can make the most out of the support we offer.

You can declare in a number of different ways:

• On the Student Details Form on the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment).
• If you are applying for a Higher Education Course, on your application form. Please note that declaring will not affect the decision we make regarding your application, it will simply be to ensure that we have the correct adjustments in place for your learning.
• To declare in person, over the phone or via email, contact support staff.

If you have declared, you will be contacted by us at the beginning of term via email. You should reply to this email detailing any specific support you feel you may need during your studies with us. However, if you would like to get in touch prior to this, you are welcome to email wellbeing[at]pointblankmusicschool.com to discuss arrangements for reasonable adjustments.

If you feel that you will need support for or adjustments to your assessment you can request an access adjustment form from us. If you do not request this form from us, but you have declared a specific learning difficulty or disability we will send you a form in week 2 of term. The form should be completed and sent back to us by week 5.

You should fill out a separate form for each module you are requesting an adjustment for. You will be asked to select what kind of adjustment you are applying for and why you are applying for the adjustment. You may also need to provide evidence of your condition. Once your form has been submitted, we will get back to you to let you know whether your request has been accepted.

HOW TO APPLY FOR DSA

If you are a UK student on the BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering or Music Production & DJ Practice degrees, you may be able to apply for a Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) via Student Finance England. This is a grant from the government to help you with additional costs you may have due to your condition, such as specialist equipment, non-medical helpers or extra travel costs.

Student Finance England may ask that you take part in a Needs Assessment, the results of which will outline the support and equipment that is recommended for you. You can make a booking via your local assessment centre, which can be found here. However, you should not make an appointment with a Needs Assessment Centre unless Student Finance England has asked you to do so.

STUDENT COUNSELLOR

If you are experiencing difficulties and you would like to speak to a professional, you may be able to arrange an appointment with our Student Counsellor. Sessions are one hour long and will take place over at least 6 weeks (one session per week). The Student Counsellor will be able to offer you emotional support and will work together with us to help you during your studies at Point Blank. If you would like to enquire about an appointment or find out more information, please email wellbeing[at]pointblankmusicschool.com.