The Disability Support Team at Point Blank is here to help students with a disability, long-term condition or Specific Learning Difference (SpLD) access the academic support you require to engage with your studies. We are here to support your specific needs as best we can as well as help you access academic and non-academic support outside of Point Blank.
You can declare at any point during your time at Point Blank, most students will do this on their UCAS application or Point-Blank Admissions process. The earlier we are aware of your needs, the quicker we advise and implement support.
We would highly recommend you speak with Izzy, our Disability Support Coordinator, who will be able to advise you on the support we provide through an informal confidential chat. You can reach her through the wellbeing inbox (wellbeing@pointblankmusicschool.com), asking for Izzy on the main Point Blank phone line or asking for her at Reception at Orsman Road (she works on-campus Wednesdays and Fridays).
If you have a Disability, Long-Term Condition or SpLD, we can provide reasonable adjustments to help support you during your studies. These include:
If you have a disability, long-term condition or SpLD, we will require you to complete our Reasonable Adjustment Form which tells us more about the support you will require. Please email wellbeing@pointblankmusicschool.com to request the Reasonable Adjustment Form, further information on the process or if you are unsure about any of the adjustments listed. We will be happy to talk you through it.
To be able to put your adjustments in place, we will require evidence such as an educational psychologist’s report, a doctor’s note or health documents confirming your condition. The evidence should clearly state the disability or long-term condition and include information about support required or issues that may affect your studies. If you are unable to provide us with any evidence or are unsure of what is accepted, please email us at wellbeing@pointblankmusicschool.com.
If there are specialist support that we do not provide at Point Blank, we would recommend you apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a government scheme to help cover study-associated costs related to a disability, mental health problem, specific learning disability or long-term illness.
DSA can be given on its own or in addition to student finance. DSA is a grant, so you do not pay this back.
DSA can help with costs such as:
To note, DSA does not cover disability-related costs if you are not on the course, or any general study-related costs that you would otherwise have as a student.
You can get a new laptop under DSA if it is confirmed after assessment that you require one, in circumstances such as:
Please note:
Alternatively, Point Blank offers a Laptop Loan Scheme. To find out more about this, please email Jamiylah via support@pointblankmusicschool.com.
For more information on the scheme, eligibility and how to apply, please see the following link: https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa.
Once your eligibility for DSA is confirmed, you may be asked to contact an Assessment Centre to work out what help you require on your course. Do not book the assessment until DSA has told you to do so.
If you would like some guidance and advice on DSA, or the adjustments Point Blank can offer, please feel free to contact Izzy, our Disability Support Coordinator, via wellbeing@pointblankmusicschool.com.
As mentioned on the DSA GOV UK website, disabled students who are not a resident in the UK will not be eligible for DSA. However, at Point Blank, we are committed to ensuring that all students are appropriately supported as far as reasonably possible.
In the first instance, we would encourage you to contact our Disability Support Coordinator (Izzy Diliene) via wellbeing@pointblankmusicschool.com as soon as possible to discuss your support needs.
We will also encourage you to explore the following funding options for additional academic support if it falls outside of the support we provide: