Canterbury College named best college for dyslexic students

Canterbury College has become one of the country’s first colleges to be awarded the prestigious Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark.

The College’s Additional Learning Support department, which includes a dedicated dyslexia support team for students and staff, was praised by awarding body the British Dyslexia Association.

Canterbury College is the first Further Education institution in the South, and one of only three in the UK, to achieve Quality Mark status.

The College’s Director of Student Support Services, Lut Stewart, said: Canterbury College is extremely proud to be awarded the Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark as one of three colleges in the whole country. The philosophy underpinning this Quality Mark is that changing practice to accommodate dyslexic students often results in good practice for everyone. The College has been able to demonstrate that , as well as employing appropriate teaching methods, its whole environment is dyslexia friendly. This is what the College strives to be and what the Quality Mark recognises.”

More than 400 students and staff at Canterbury College are registered as dyslexic. The College’s Additional Learning Support team has three full-time dyslexia support workers and a large team of Learning Support Practitioners who offer one-to-one and in-class support, a drop-in service and links to other dyslexia organisations. They also offer in-house dyslexia support training.

Learning Support manager Adrian Newick said: “It’s important that Canterbury College has been recognised for the good work done to support dyslexic students and staff. We work with students on a one-to-one basis throughout their whole learning journey. In some cases, we meet with dyslexic students before they join the College to assess their individual needs. In other cases, they are diagnosed while studying here. It’s no understatement to say identification of the condition is life changing. Some people with dyslexia come to College with low confidence, but we help them achieve better self-awareness about the condition. This is empowering and helps them take control of their lives.”

The College’s Learning Resource Centre recently piloted text message-reminder service for those with dyslexia who have taken out library books and DVDs. It has also made computer programmes designed to make reading easier have also been made downloadable for home use.

Canterbury College will hold the Dyslexia Quality Mark for three years, and has been asked by the British Dyslexia Association to help other Kent colleges reach Quality Mark standard.