New College Swindon has been given a special award for its work with dyslexic pupils.

It has won the Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark by the British Dyslexia Association – recognising that it is the only further education college with a designated unit in Wiltshire.

The accolade is only issued to organisations that have met rigorous quality standards.

The team at New College includes eight dyslexia trained tutors, five of whom are assessors.

John Bacon, section leader of learning support said: “I’m overjoyed with the recognition we’ve had from the British Dyslexia Association.

"It’s fantastic that the work of the learning support tutors is being recognised.

“To be awarded the Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark, we had to meet very particular criteria and provide in-depth, concrete evidence.

“To achieve this has been a long process, but absolutely worthwhile, hopefully people will recognise what we have to offer.”

Many schools and centres work with external staff, who come in to visit, but the college has a dedicated centre and in-house team, which offers specialist support during term time.

Students needing support have the opportunity to work with the same tutors over a period of time.

The team has spent almost two years gathering evidence of best practice, providing policies and procedures, demonstrating delivery in classroom settings and showing the ways in which elements of support are incorporated into wider classroom settings.

Students enrolled on a qualification course and require support are given access to drop-in and one-to-one sessions.

There are also a number of different screening processes and assessments, meaning pupils get the exact support that they need.

The college works on incorporating assistive tech and tools where possible, such as the virtual learning environment, with an aim to prepare students for life after education.

The skills that students learn can be carried through into the workplace or higher education, providing them with further confidence and independence.

John has also completed a qualification to specialise in maths support, he said: “The staff here at New College are always looking at ways to develop professionally and work hard to better themselves and improve the support that they offer – it really is inspiring.

“We cater for all qualification types and offer support to a range of students.”