Hi Emma,

If it’s your institution that runs the IELTS or the Cambridge test then I would assume that it is down to your institution to help the student to prepare for the test and that might mean to provide a person as a Non medical helper if that is what they need.  We’re fortunate enough here to have a small disability fund, so that we can support students who are on non-funded courses like this.  I very much doubt the LEA would pay for this.

However, if the course or qualification they need is taught/carried out by another institution then I would suggest that it is up to that institution to provide the support for the student.  It might be a pre-requisite qualification but in most institutions so are A levels and we don’t provide support for students to gain those.

Kind regards

Pauline McInnes

Disability Co-ordinator

Student Services

Thames Valley University

St Mary's Road

Ealing

London

W5 5RF

Tel: 020 8213 2058

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From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emma Price
Sent: 08 June 2006 11:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Support with an entrance test

Dear all

Has anyone had experience of providing support (in this case, in the form of a reader as the student is visually impaired) for a student wanting to enter higher education who needs to prepare and sit an English Language test (either the IELTS or the Cambridge Proficiency Test)?   Does the DSA stretch to cover these costs?  Or have institutions met these costs in the past?  It’s more the preparation that is the key here, the test itself can be sorted out hopefully.  

Any previous experience would be really useful.

Emma