East Durham College

We offer a really wide range of courses to help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to get the job you want or to progress to university.

Our state-of-the-art Peterlee Campus is a fantastic custom-built educational facility which opened in 2009. The campus is home to our sixth form and A-level provision, ED6, which has had a 100% pass rate from 2016 to 2022 and was 99.5% in 2023.

The College also offers a huge number of vocational course programmes such as business, IT, beauty, hairdressing, health and social care, joinery, brickwork, sport and many more. As well as the modern classrooms, IT suites and workshops you’d expect, it also has a 220-seat theatre, mock-hospital training ward, cleanroom lab, a double-sized sports hall and a fitness gym, recording studio, commercial hair and beauty salons and two industry-standard training kitchens and training restaurant called The Grove.

Our Houghall Campus, in Durham, is the largest provider of specialist land-based courses and training in the North East. Houghall underwent a +£13m redevelopment in 2016/17, which saw the creation of a brand new Equine Centre, Small Animal Care Centre, Agriculture Centre and the modernisation of other buildings. In addition, the campus is home to a stunning 475-acre site with a working farm and unique arboretum (tree collections).

For anyone who wants to work in the engineering, advanced manufacturing and construction-related industries, our Technical Academy offers one of the region’s best training facilities for those sectors. The 37,000 square-foot training centre is located on Peterlee’s South West Industrial Estate and runs a number of courses as part of the new North East Institute of Technology.

Campus addresses:

East Durham College
Peterlee Campus
Willerby Grove
Peterlee
County Durham
SR8 2RN

Houghall Campus
Durham
County Durham
DH1 3SG

The Technical Academy
1 Palmer Road
South West Industrial Estate
Peterlee
County Durham
SR8 2HU

When is it on?

Time of day
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Session information
Monday to Thursday 8.30am - 5.00pm Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm.
Late night opening days/times various by site.

Who to contact

Contact name
The Admissions Team
Contact position
Student Services
Telephone
0191 518 2000
0191 375 4700
E-mail
enquiries@eastdurham.ac.uk
Website
East Durham College

Other details

Cost description
Funding available subject to: age and/or personal circumstances and/or income.
Students aged 14-19 (SEND 16-24) can study at East Durham College for free. Many adults may also be eligible to study free of charge, and for those on courses at Level 4 or higher student loans are also available
Referral required?
Yes
Referral and availability notes

Referrals accepted from local authority SEN caseworkers.

Age range
Over 14 years

Local Offer

Local Offer description

Our intention is to create outstanding futures by offering high quality education and training.

We do this by:

Supporting aspirations by guiding and developing young people’s purposeful long term outcomes.

This is achieved in a number of ways: for example, by offering an extensive foundation learning curriculum, with special teaching and support staff for learners with a range of specialist educational needs.

Our broad inclusive curriculum can be accessed by all learners with support and appropriate help and guidance to meet the individuals’ needs.

Regular assessment of learners needs are undertaken with a view to promote independent learning.

Our team is always on hand to give advice and support.

Contact name
Claire Daly - Additional Learning Support Manager
Contact telephone
0191 518 8258
Contact email
ALS@eastdurham.ac.uk
Links
East Durham College Local offer
East Durham College Specialist Provision

How do you identify Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

At East Durham College learners are identified as having a SEN through a variety of ways. The College works in partnership with the young person, parents & carers and local authorities to identify and support special educational needs. Full and open discussion will occur, throughout the processes with the learner, parents, carers and will be communicated in appropriate language. The College has an applications procedure, on receipt of an application form you will be guaranteed an interview and an opportunity to discuss your needs and requirements. Following this you may be offered opportunities to participate in summer schools and taster sessions and other events to help you move from school into the College environment. On entry all learners are assessed and the data from these tests is then analysed by the Learning Support team and group leaders to identify any potential areas of need. The assessments taken by learners on entry may include:

  • Literacy and Numeracy assessments
  • Dyslexia screening
  • Specialist assessments

All learners are continually assessed throughout their time at College. Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans and School Education support plans are used to inform College assessments. Teaching and support staff are trained to identify special educational needs and there are clear processes to follow to ensure support is received. Staff carry out regular formative assessments as part of the programme of study and reviews of progress are conducted monthly to identify at risk learners.

All learners have an individual learning plan which is compiled, reviewed and amended at least termly. Staff can refer learners to the Learning Support team if they have any concerns. Following a referral assessments may be undertaken as necessary. Learners and parents/carers will be informed if there are concerns. 

Other means of ongoing identification of special educational needs can include;

  • Feedback from personal learning coaches
  • Referrals from outside agencies
  • Concerns raised by parents
  • Observations
  • Counsellor referrals
  • Liaison with outside agencies e.g. Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Specialist teacher advisors.

Should you believe your child has a special educational need you should contact the Learning Support team on:
Email: ALS@eastdurham.ac.uk
Tel: 0191 518 5513

Staff will be able to undertake investigations and appropriate assessments to establish if support is required. 

How will you support my child with their special educational needs and disability?

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

Individual support

Learners with identified Special educational Needs are supported in college according to the requirements of the statement, this may include support in and out of class. If a student does not have a statement of special educational needs but support is required this will be provided on an individual needs basis. Support may be provided through 1:1, small group support or other specialist interventions.

Specialist help and support is available to assist learners access the broad curriculum on offer. Specialist support can include;

  • Autistic spectrum support
  • Behavioural, social & emotional support
  • Moderate learning difficulty support
  • Specialist communicators are available including interpreters and signers
  • Dyslexia support

All learners are assessed prior to enrolment, and have ongoing assessments, to ensure the correct level of support is offered.

The College has an Inclusive Learning Manager and a Learning Support Manager who work across the College and Curriculum in conjunction with teaching and vocational staff to ensure all learners have access to support as needed.

Access arrangements (exam support)

Students identified with a SEN will be assessed for any access requirements, this will ensure extra time or additional support is provided to allow everyone the opportunity to equally sit examinations. Examples of support are; a reader; extra time; use of a word processor and a scribe. Assessments are completed by specialist teacher who provides a report and the support a student can have is dependent on the scores they receive in these tests alongside a history of need. 

How will you make sure my child's education meet their needs?

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's young person's needs?

Foundation learning caters for students with moderate learning difficulties and a range of disabilities. Foundation Studies and Land-based Foundation have a number of pathways which may be of interest to students with learning difficulties.

Specialist provision for learners on the Autistic spectrum is based at the Houghall Campus.

Within lessons the lecturer will differentiate learning supported by a learning support assistant. Strategies to support learners identified with SEN are included in their EHC plan.

There are accessible changing and toilet facilities on all sites. The College has a portable induction loop system and the Peterlee Campus is fully accessible.

Reasonable adjustments will be made wherever possible to allow learners to access curriculum areas.

How will we know my child is progressing?

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

There are a variety of ways in which you can find out how your child is progressing. These include:

College reports

College reports are published for all learners twice per academic year. These reports will provide detailed information regarding how much progress your child is making and provide contact details to allow you to speak with someone if you are concerned.

Parents evenings

There are opportunities throughout the year for you to meet your child’s lecturers. At these meetings you can discuss your child’s progress and any concerns which you may have with their teacher or tutor. If you still have concerns you can contact the Learning Support Manager (see section 4) or other member of the college management team. Your concerns will be listened to and discussed and if necessary additional support may be put in place.

Education Health and Care Plans (EHC) and Learning Difficulty Assessments (S139a)

Learning difficulty assessments and Statements of SEN have now been replaced with a single, integrated education, health and care plan from 2014 from birth to 25 years. This means that children, young people and families will have a single assessment process, covering education, health and care, and ensuring that families have confidence that all of the different local agencies - across education, health and social care are working to together to meet their needs.Learners with an EHC plan must have their support reviewed each academic year. Parents and any agencies involved with your child may be invited to this meeting to discuss how well they are progressing and how successful the support has been.

How will you support my child's overall wellbeing?

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?

East Durham College is committed to supporting all aspects of a learners emotional and social development. Learners may undertake personal and social development units as part of their programme of study.

Students in Foundation learning undertake travel training and visit local shopping areas to experience social eating and develop key social skills. Learners in the Derwent provision attend the North East Autism Society shop regularly to gain valuable work experience and life skills.

The Transitional Development team are a unique provision set up to provide support and guidance to help young people who are unable to remain in the school environment. Intense support is given around behaviour, responsibility, social & emotional management.

Learners who require specific medicines during the course of their day can leave these medicines in the care of staff who will ensure they are available as necessary as communicated by parents/carers.

Although not unique to students with special educational needs, the college, have clear behaviour and attendance policies.

What specialist services and expertise is available at or accessed by the staff?

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

All teachers and lecturers are fully qualified and specialists in their vocational areas. The college employ specialist staff including communicators (signers) and dyslexia specialist teachers.

The school has a specialist Autism provision ‘Derwent’ and a Foundation provision. The Foundation learning team caters for learners with moderate learning difficulties and a range of disabilities.

The College has a multi-agency approach and works with Children and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS), North East Autism Society, Paediatric Services and Therapy services amongst others depending on the needs of the learners.

A partnership with North East Autism Society has enhanced the provision for learners on the Autistic Spectrum. Staff expertise is shared across both organisations. The physical resources of each organisation are used to enhance the learning outcomes of learners.

East Durham college works alongside a wide range of external agencies to ensure all pupils are fully supported.

How are staff trained regarding SEND?

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?

All teachers and lecturers are fully qualified and specialists in their vocational areas. All staff are required to undertake regular professional development. Staff attend external professional development events. There is a Bronze, Silver & Gold internal Professional Development Scheme which has included Behavioural Management, Autism Support, Mental Health Awareness training amongst many other topics.

The college employ specialist staff including communicators (signers) and dyslexia specialist teachers.

At the start of each academic year teaching and support staff are introduced to the SEN needs of the new learners via their transition profiles. At this time individual needs are identified and compared with existing experience of staff, if additional specialist staff are required they will be employed or staff will undergo necessary training.

Alongside the staff that work in school we have a network of outside agencies to support learners. These can include; Counselling services, Educational Psychologists, social services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

What activities outside the classroom will there be?

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

Each course or programme may include extra-curricular activities. Examples of these are:

  • Travel training
  • Visits to employers, zoos, construction sites etc
  • Talks from visiting experts
  • Participating in College Open Days
  • Volunteering activities
  • Sport Performing Arts, Tin Art communication workshops
  • Educational visits
  • Overnight lambing
  • Competition work in Hairdressing, Floristry, Arboriculture
  • Construction projects
  • Princes Trust Team & Exel Programme projects

East Durham Collegeaim to support all learners to enable them to attend trips, visits and take part in extra activities where possible. A risk assessment will be completed for each trip and the needs of individual learners are considered as part of this process. A decision will then be reached in collaboration with parents to decide whether or not it is possible for the student to attend. The safety and well-being of all concerned is an integral part of this process. 

How will you support my child's needs?

How accessible is the setting/school/college environment?

The Peterlee campus is a new and purpose built facility which is fully accessible. The Houghall Campus may be a challenging environment for those with limited mobility. However, transitional visits are recommended to ensure it is accessible for the individual.

There are accessible toilets and changing facilities and disabled parking at all sites. The College has a portable induction loop system.

The accessibility of the site is regularly reviewed in line with the needs of the existing and new learners.  The college has experience of working with learners with physical disabilities and special educational needs.

 

 

What is available to help my child with their education?

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

Foundation learning caters for students with moderate learning difficulties and a range of disabilities. Foundation Studies & Land-based Foundation have a number of pathways which may be of interest to students with learning difficulties.

Specialist provision for learners on the Autistic spectrum is based at the Houghall Campus.

Within lessons the lecturer will differentiate learning supported by a learning support assistant. Strategies to support learners identified with SEN are included in their EHC plan.

There are accessible changing and toilet facilities on all sites. The College has a portable induction loop system and the Peterlee Campus is fully accessible.

Reasonable adjustments will be made wherever possible to allow learners to access curriculum areas.

 

What support can I expect for my child?

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

Learners with EHC plans are supported in college according to the requirements of the statement, this may include support in and out of class. If a student does not have an EHC plan but support is required this will be provided on an individual needs basis.

All learners are assessed prior to enrolment, and have ongoing assessments, to ensure the correct level of support is offered.

The College has an Inclusive Learning Manager and a Learning Support Manager who work across the College and Curriculum in conjunction with teaching and vocational staff to ensure all learners have access to support as needed.


 

 

How will I be involved in my child's education?

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

Over the academic year there are a range of opportunities for parents to formally meet with staff to discuss the progress of their child. These include parents evenings, open evenings and if they have an EHC plan at review meetings. Meetings may also be convened at the request of the learner, parents, staff or outside agencies.

Parents may contact teaching staff, the Learning Support manager, Inclusive Learning Manager or the Senior Management Team by phone, in writing or arrange a meeting to discuss any part of their childs support or learning experience.

My child is going to be starting or leaving soon, how will you help them?

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

The College has an applications procedure, on receipt of an application form learners will be guaranteed an interview and an opportunity to discuss their needs and requirements. Following this they may be offered opportunities to participate in summer schools and taster sessions and other events to help them move from school into the College environment.  At the start of each academic year teaching and support staff are introduced to the SEN needs of the new learners via their transition profiles, work is then carried out to prepare for the learners arrival. Every learner at the College will have a comprehensive induction programme at the commencement of their programme of study, this will ensure they fully understand the college procedures and can meet staff and familiarise themselves with facilities.

Disclaimer

Durham County Council's Families Information Service does not promote nor endorse the services advertised on this website. Anyone seeking to use/access such services does so at their own risk and may make all appropriate enquiries about fitness for purpose and suitability to meet their needs.
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