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New students

Support for students with disabilities and/or specific learning difficulties

Welcome to Oxford Brookes

Please contact our Inclusive Support Service before you start with us as this will enable us to put the best possible support in place for you. Our web pages provide lots of useful information for new students as well as all of our contact details. 

Complete our self-referral form

Student checklist

Approximately six months prior to commencing your studies

  • Make sure you have relevant medical evidence or an appropriate diagnostic assessment for a SpLD. You will need this when you apply for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) and when you register with our service.
  • Make an application for the DSA if you are eligible - this process can be started at the same time you apply for Student Finance.
  • Once awarded DSA, ensure we have a copy of your DSA needs assessment.

Any time before your course starts

  • If you would like to register with the Inclusive Support Service, please complete the self-referral form or contact us directly if you prefer. 
  • If you will need adapted accommodation or assistance on campus, please let us know as soon as possible.
  • Feel free to contact us if you have any queries or concerns.

On arrival

  • If you haven’t already been in touch, please make contact with the Inclusive Support Service to find out what we can offer.
  • Please see our Student Responsibility Document for an overview of what you need to do to access support.

Students studying together
The Forum in JHBB

Creating an Inclusive Support Plan (ISP)

To access support and exam arrangements, you need an ISP. Before you arrive:

  • Send us your diagnostic assessment or medical evidence.
  • Check that your report was acceptable. Did you receive an email from a disability adviser confirming that it met the criteria?

More about your ISP

Your dyslexia/SpLD assessment

You are strongly advised to have an assessment for dyslexia or your specific learning difficulty before you begin university. 

It is important that the assessment report meets the criteria (see below). 

If you are already studying a course at Oxford Brookes and have not yet had an assessment, please contact us.

Assessment for dyslexia/SpLD

Assessment appointment

Assessment criteria

In accordance with government guidelines, the assessment should have been carried out by a chartered psychologist, clinical or educational psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council or specialist tutor with a current practising certificate, and should contain:

  • Detailed information about the tests used, with ceilings, age range, results, conclusions.
  • Tests of cognitive ability/processing, general underlying ability and attainment, the results of which indicate dyslexia/SpLD.
  • Discussion of the impact of dyslexia/SpLD on the student's performance in higher education.

Assessments must comply with the guidelines set out by the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee.

If you are providing a recent letter from a GP or specialist as evidence of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD), the letter must show how your daily life and studies are affected and explain the effects are long-term. The letter should also include recommendations for support or adjustments for studying at university.