Inclusive Support for all Students at Henley College

The parent of a former student, Josh, has recently been in touch to express some of her reflections surrounding her sons needs and different initiatives and support that was on offer throughout his time at The Henley College.

“The support that you have offered was superb.  Josh started off as a very nervous ASD student with an equally anxious mum.  The support that you gave me, mum, was great.  It started early on when he was practising taking the train in the June before he started, practices you suggested.  You very kindly gave me a call when he had arrived safely. You praised him for doing this journey by himself, giving him confidence that he could do it! You were always available when I was concerned or needed advice and always reassured me with great kindness.”

The majority of our students travel to Henley College each day on public buses and trains as well as coaches subsidised by the college. The Student Services team work to ensure that all transport, to and from the college, is a smooth operation to ensure the greatest ease possible for our students who travel using public transport.

“I saw Josh go from strength to strength with your support.  You took time to understand him and his needs.  You offered a safe place for him to go if needed and a listening ear.  You made sure that he was managing really well in the classroom and helped liaise with his lecturers.  You provided one to one once a week with Joanne.  This was so helpful.  You matched him really well with her.  She was able to provide study skills and emotional support.  When Josh’s anxiety got a bit out of hand, you organised for him to see Tracey, the college counsellor.  This got him back on track and gave him tools to work with.”

The college has been recognised as a Leader in Diversity which is the highest award that can be given by the National Centre for Diversity. At Henley College, we celebrate our diverse and inclusive community. Our students come from a variety of different backgrounds and have differing needs as a result and we are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for every student.

“You quickly assessed him in his first year so that he could get the extra 25% of time he needed. All this support meant that Josh felt supported, calm and happy.  This enabled him to enjoy his studies and lead to academic success.  He is now looking forward to going to university next year after gaining experience in the world of work this year.”

Each year around 70% of our students continue onto higher education. It is always great to hear of a former student doing well and moving onto higher education. Particularly with such positive feedback regarding the support a student had received from the college.