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Additional Learning Support
Contents
SEND Inclusion Statement
Further details on how we can help you can be found in our SEND Inclusion Statement.
Welcome
We welcome students who have a disability and/or learning difficulty. We appreciate and value the contribution that individuals with learning difficulties and/or disabilities bring to the college.
The college is committed to making students with additional support needs feel valued, respected and supported.
We aim to create an inclusive environment where all students are treated on the basis of their merits, ability and potential.
We pride ourselves on providing high quality support to learners with a wide range of additional learning support needs to help individuals to participate fully in college life.
If you have a special educational need or disability, we would encourage you to discuss this with us as early as possible. We have a team at each of our main campuses to help you where you can speak with staff to discuss your needs.
Who are we and what do we do?
We are a large team of dedicated staff based at each of the college campuses. We are experienced in supporting learners with a wide range of needs.
Our support team
If you have a disability or learning difficulty our team are here to help you find the appropriate support at college.
We can also provide physical support or support for a hearing or visual impairment.
Meet the teamOur welcome pack
We offer various types of support including assistive technology loans, workshops, clubs, support in the classroom and online/remote support.
View our welcome pack to learn more.
View welcome packContact us
We want you to feel safe and supported at college and enjoy being included in every aspect of student life with us.
Contact us for more information and a member of our team will help you.
How to contact usDiscuss your support needs
We understand that joining college can be an anxious time and it is really important that we understand how we can support you so that coming to college can be made as comfortable for you as possible. If you haven’t already told us about your support needs at application or enrolment we would encourage you to share this information with us so that we can discuss your needs early on.
Did you have support in exams at school?
If you had support in exams at school, it is really important that we know this and that you provide us with your previous evidence, for example this might be your school assessment or a medical letter.
Complete our questionnaire
ALS support questionnaire
You will have been sent a message following your application to fill out an ALS support questionnaire. You can fill this out by logging into your application.
We will treat the information you give us with care and with your consent. We will share this information with your tutors and support staff so they know how to support you in and out of the classroom.
Need help completing the questionnaire?
If you need any help filling out the ALS support questionnaire, please view our How to contact us section and contact us via email or phone.
Exam access arrangements
If you received access arrangements in your exams or assessments at school or your most recent educational placement e.g. use of a reader, scribe, prompt, separate accommodation or additional time, it is very important that you tell us this.
Important
If you have not already given us your evidence, for example this might be your school assessment or a medical letter, it is important to make sure that you provide us with this urgently.
How to send your evidence
There are two options for sending evidence; by email or by post.
Option 1 Send your evidence by email
Email your evidence to us at:
AdditionalLearningSupport@southessex.ac.uk
Alternatively you can email your evidence directly to Lorraine Brophy or Jenny Hixon at:
Lorraine.Brophy@southessex.ac.uk
Jenny.Hixon@southessex.ac.uk
Option 2 Send your evidence by post
Post your evidence, marked for the attention of Lorraine Brophy or Jenny Hixon in the ALS team, to:
South Essex College
Luker Road
Southend-on-Sea
SS1 1ND
United Kingdom
If we have not already received evidence of your request, this will delay us in being able to undertake the necessary assessments for you to receive access arrangements at college. We have to work to tight exam board deadlines, so it is critical that you contact your tutor if you have not already done so.
Please note
We request that all evidence is provided to us by the 2nd week in September. Any new evidence or requests received by us later than than September means we cannot guarantee that we can process your request in time to meet the necessary external exam board deadlines.
Meet the team

Karen Fox
Head of ALS

Lorraine Brophy
Learning Mentor Manager

Tina Booth
Learning Mentor Manager

Gill Collins
Learning Mentor Manager

Sarah Fincham
Learning Mentor Manager

Sarah Markey
Learning Mentor Manager

Cheyne Conway
Learning Mentor (Southend)

Anne-Marie Hayter
Learning Mentor (Southend)

Chris Thomson
Learning Mentor (Southend)

Jenny Hixon
Learning Mentor (Southend)

Sarah Jee
Learning Mentor (Southend)

Gabriella Garroway
Learning Mentor (Cross Campus – Sensory Team)

Samantha Tucker
Learning Mentor (Thurrock)

Shan Mok
Learning Mentor (Thurrock)

Ann Graham-Older
Learning Mentor (Stephenson Rd & Luckyn Lane)

Jo Thomas
Learning Mentor (New Basildon Campus)

Georgia Curwood
Administrator (Education, Health and Care Plans)

Ferwin D’Costa
Administrator
How to contact us
You can email the following ALS Mailbox and we will respond to your query as soon as possible: AdditionalLearningSupport@southessex.ac.uk
Learning Mentors are responsible for arranging support in the following curriculum areas. Learning Mentors can be contacted by phone on the numbers detailed below, by college email, or Microsoft Teams.
Southend Campus
Anne-Marie Hayter
Anne-Marie.Hayter@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220600
Learning & Progression/Entry Level/Service Industries Travel & Tourism
Chris Thomson
Chris.Thomson@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220685
DTMPA/Service Industries Sports and Public Services
Sarah Jee
Sarah.Jee@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220499
Health & Science/Adult English & Maths/Adult FE Counselling/Service Industries Hair & Beauty
Jenny Hixon
Jenny.Hixon@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220599
Exam Access Arrangements (Southend)/HE
Cheyne Conway
Cheyne.Conway@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220591
Art & Design/Business/A Levels/Engineering L2 & 3
Jo Thomas
Jo.Thomas@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220695
Thurrock Campus
Samantha Tucker
Samantha.Tucker@southessex.ac.uk or call 01375 362633
Engineering & Construction, Art & Design, Business, DTMPA, Adult English & Maths, Service Industries
Shan Mok
Shan.Mok@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220445
Exam Access Arrangements (cross college)/Apprentices/HE (Thurrock)
Stephenson Road Campus
Ann Graham-Older
Ann.Graham-Older@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220505
All curriculum departments at that campus
Luckyn Lane Campus
Ann Graham-Older
Ann.Graham-Older@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220505
All curriculum departments at that campus
New Basildon Campus
Jo Thomas
Jo.Thomas@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220695
DTMPA, Learning and Progression
Sensory Team Learning Mentor
Gabriella Garroway
Gabriella.Garroway@southessex.ac.uk or call 01375 362787
Covering ALS support for Thurrock Campus areas of: Health & Science, Learning & Progression
The Learning Mentor Manager Team can also be contacted via email at the following address: ALSSeniorLearningMentors@southessex.ac.uk
Each LMM has an area of responsibility for Additional Learning Support and can be contacted as follows for further advice and guidance related to their areas of specialism:
Sarah Fincham
Sarah.Fincham@southessex.ac.uk or call 07720 968128
Sensory Team
Tina Booth
Tina.Booth@southessex.ac.uk or call 01375 362640
High Needs Students and Complex Health/Physical Needs
Sarah Markey
Sarah.Markey@southessex.ac.uk or call 01375 362642
Education, Health and Care Plans
Lorraine Brophy
Lorraine.Brophy@southessex.ac.uk or call 01702 220475
Access Arrangements, Higher Education, Apprentices
Gill Collins
Gill.Collins@southessex.ac.uk or call 01375 362769
Social & Emotional Needs, Mental Health
Karen Fox
Karen.Fox@southessex.ac.uk or call 01375 362601
Ferwin D’Costa
Ferwin.D'Costa@southessex.ac.uk or call 01375 362612
Georgia Curwood
Georgia.Curwood@southessex.ac.uk or call 01375 362607
Welcome pack
Our welcome pack is a collection of files containing useful information and resources. You can download the files from the welcome pack below.
Welcome pack files
- Childrens OT Duty Desk - Thurrock Council
- Coping strategies tool
- Feeling unwell - what to do
- Making the change from school to college
- Mask exemption cards
- SNAP – Coronavirus Family Guide
- Southend Educational Psychology Service - EP CONNECT Coronavirus update Aug 2020
- Staying safe on campus
- Stop Coronavirus keep clean
- Support for you - student leaflet
- Wash your hands easy read
- When I feel anxious