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What support can I expect at college with no EHCP?

👍 Good news – you can still get support even without an EHCP.

Colleges must still support you if you have SEND just like schools have to support students with SEND.

What is SEN Support?

SEN Support is the help your college gives you to make learning easier.

This could include:

  • Extra help from support staff
  • Help with reading, writing or organisation
  • Support with mental health or anxiety
  •  Using technology (like laptops or software)
Expand the boxes below to find out more.

Your college should:

  • Listen to you when you tell them what you need
  • Find out what support works best for you
  • Make a support plan with you
  • Check regularly that it is helping

Colleges have a duty to do their best to support you. This is called "best endeavours".

Your college should:

  • Listen to you when you tell them what you need
  • Find out what support works best for you
  • Make a support plan with you
  • Check regularly that it is helping

Colleges have a duty to do their best to support you. This is called "best endeavours".

🧭 Things you can do before you start college

Here are some helpful steps:

✅ Visit the college (open day or taster day)
✅ Ask what support they offer
✅ Meet the learning support team
✅ Talk to your school about your needs
✅ Write down what helps you learn best

👉 The earlier you tell the college about your needs, the sooner they can put support in place.

You can:

  • Put it on your application
  • Talk about it at interview
  • Tell the support team before you start

You can use this template to help you tell the college what help you need:

✏️ My Pupil Profile

👤 About Me

  • My name is:
  • I am studying:

👍 My Strengths

What am I good at?

  •  
  •  

🧠 What I Find Difficult

What do I struggle with?

  •  
  •  

✅ What Helps Me Learn

What works well for me?

  •  
  •  

🙋 How Staff Can Support Me

What can teachers or staff do to help?

  •  
  •  

🚫 What Doesn’t Help

Things that make learning harder:

  •  
  •  

💬 Communication

How I prefer to communicate:

  •  
  •  

🎯 My Goals

What I want to achieve:

  •  
  •  

🆘 If I Am Struggling

How people can tell:

What helps me:

·    Top Tips for Your Profile

  • Be honest – it’s about helping people understand you
  • Keep it simple
  • Focus on what helps you (not just difficulties)
  • Share it with your college or tutor

🧭 Things you can do before you start college

Here are some helpful steps:

✅ Visit the college (open day or taster day)
✅ Ask what support they offer
✅ Meet the learning support team
✅ Talk to your school about your needs
✅ Write down what helps you learn best

👉 The earlier you tell the college about your needs, the sooner they can put support in place.

You can:

  • Put it on your application
  • Talk about it at interview
  • Tell the support team before you start

You can use this template to help you tell the college what help you need:

✏️ My Pupil Profile

👤 About Me

  • My name is:
  • I am studying:

👍 My Strengths

What am I good at?

  •  
  •  

🧠 What I Find Difficult

What do I struggle with?

  •  
  •  

✅ What Helps Me Learn

What works well for me?

  •  
  •  

🙋 How Staff Can Support Me

What can teachers or staff do to help?

  •  
  •  

🚫 What Doesn’t Help

Things that make learning harder:

  •  
  •  

💬 Communication

How I prefer to communicate:

  •  
  •  

🎯 My Goals

What I want to achieve:

  •  
  •  

🆘 If I Am Struggling

How people can tell:

What helps me:

·    Top Tips for Your Profile

  • Be honest – it’s about helping people understand you
  • Keep it simple
  • Focus on what helps you (not just difficulties)
  • Share it with your college or tutor

You are not alone

You don’t have to do this alone.

⭐ Top tips

  • Speak up about what you need
  • Don’t wait. If something isn’t working, tell someone
  • Keep trying – college is a big change but you’ll get there

If you need help, you could talk to:

Remember

  • You have the right to learn and get support
  • Everyone learns in different ways
  • Asking for help is a good thing

You are not alone

You don’t have to do this alone.

⭐ Top tips

  • Speak up about what you need
  • Don’t wait. If something isn’t working, tell someone
  • Keep trying – college is a big change but you’ll get there

If you need help, you could talk to:

Remember

  • You have the right to learn and get support
  • Everyone learns in different ways
  • Asking for help is a good thing

If SEN Support is not enough, you can:

  • Ask your college to review your support
  • Ask for an EHCP assessment (you can do this yourself up to age 25)  

You can use this example letter to help you make a complaint:

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email / Phone number]
[Date]

To:
[College Name]
[College Address or Email]

Subject: Complaint about lack of SEN Support

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about the support I am receiving at college.

I have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND), and I need support to help me take part in my course.

About me

  • My name is: [Your name]
  • My course is: [Course name]
  • I have: [e.g. autism, ADHD, learning difficulty, anxiety, etc.]

My concerns

I am worried because I am not getting the support I need.

For example:

  • I do not have the support that was agreed
  • I am not getting help in lessons
  • Staff do not understand my needs
  • Reasonable adjustments are not being made
  • I am struggling to stay in class or keep up with work

(Explain in your own words what is happening)

How this is affecting me

This is affecting me in these ways:

  • I find it hard to learn and keep up
  • I feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed
  • I may be missing lessons or falling behind
  • It is affecting my confidence

(Add anything else important to you)

What should be happening

I understand that the college should:

  • Provide support for students with SEND
  • Make reasonable adjustments
  • Follow my support plan

What I would like to happen

I would like the college to:

  • Put the right support in place
  • Review my needs and support plan
  • Meet with me (and my parent/carer if needed)
  • Make sure staff understand my needs

(Be clear about what would help you)

Next steps

Please can you:

  • Respond to this complaint within [e.g. 10 working days]
  • Tell me what will be done to fix this

If this is not resolved, I may need to take further steps.

Thank you for your time and support.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]

If SEN Support is not enough, you can:

  • Ask your college to review your support
  • Ask for an EHCP assessment (you can do this yourself up to age 25)  

You can use this example letter to help you make a complaint:

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email / Phone number]
[Date]

To:
[College Name]
[College Address or Email]

Subject: Complaint about lack of SEN Support

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about the support I am receiving at college.

I have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND), and I need support to help me take part in my course.

About me

  • My name is: [Your name]
  • My course is: [Course name]
  • I have: [e.g. autism, ADHD, learning difficulty, anxiety, etc.]

My concerns

I am worried because I am not getting the support I need.

For example:

  • I do not have the support that was agreed
  • I am not getting help in lessons
  • Staff do not understand my needs
  • Reasonable adjustments are not being made
  • I am struggling to stay in class or keep up with work

(Explain in your own words what is happening)

How this is affecting me

This is affecting me in these ways:

  • I find it hard to learn and keep up
  • I feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed
  • I may be missing lessons or falling behind
  • It is affecting my confidence

(Add anything else important to you)

What should be happening

I understand that the college should:

  • Provide support for students with SEND
  • Make reasonable adjustments
  • Follow my support plan

What I would like to happen

I would like the college to:

  • Put the right support in place
  • Review my needs and support plan
  • Meet with me (and my parent/carer if needed)
  • Make sure staff understand my needs

(Be clear about what would help you)

Next steps

Please can you:

  • Respond to this complaint within [e.g. 10 working days]
  • Tell me what will be done to fix this

If this is not resolved, I may need to take further steps.

Thank you for your time and support.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]