At NEC, we believe that everybody deserves a chance to achieve their learning goals, no matter their circumstances.
There are many forms of support we can offer our students, including guidance around requesting access arrangements for exams, 1-1 pastoral support and a dedicated Wellbeing for Learning programme.
Tutor support
At NEC we know that having the right tutor makes a huge difference to a student’s experience. This is why all of our tutors are qualified teachers, experienced in online learning and examinations, and committed to supporting our learners. We also provide all of our tutors with bespoke in-house training to ensure they are able to support across a range of needs. All students are able to contact their tutor via the forums and messaging system on learn@nec, and you can also arrange 1-1 tutorials if this would benefit you. Find out more about our optional additional services here.
Pastoral Care
We welcome and value all students and want to ensure that everyone enrolled with us has the opportunity to achieve their goals. For this reason, NEC has a dedicated Pastoral Officer, Karyn Nash, who can help support students in a number of ways. Anyone enrolled on a NEC course can access support from our Pastoral Officer. Find out more about our Pastoral Care Service and our external partners here.
Support for exams
Some students may need to book their exams with access arrangements. NEC's exam team are here to help with this. If you are using our exam booking service, the team will work with you and the exam centre to see what is possible and ensure you have access to the support you need where possible. We can also help with exam preparations with the marking of a past paper included in the cost of our courses, if you'd like more than one past paper marked we can offer these as an add-on.
Wellbeing for Learning
NEC's Pastoral Officer runs a bi-monthly Wellbeing for Learning session which is open to both students and their parents. The aim of these sessions is to help students recognise and manage any barriers to learning they may have. Each session is delivered live and a workbook is also provided to help students explore what is covered, allowing them to make the most of their time as a distance learner.
Support for students under 18
Ever since NEC was founded in 1963, a big part of our history has been supporting home educators. We know that it's important to get things right when learning from home, so we have put some extra measures in place for our students who are under 18. This includes providing a Progress Tracker login for parents/guardians so you can see how your child is getting on with their studies. To find out more about how we can support students under 18, please see our Home Educators page.
NEC Masterclasses
NEC students may also benefit from our 'Masterclasses'. These are sessions put together by subject tutors to target any particularly tricky areas of study according to exam reports. For more information about Masterclasses download our flyer: NEC Masterclass Generic Info Flyer.
Delivering support that works
"I wouldn't have changed a thing about joining NEC. I needed to focus on myself and I'm proud of who I've become and what I managed to learn thanks to it. I'll forever be grateful. Thank you for all your help and support these past few years."
- NEC GCSE student
Alex had a family emergency and needed some support to complete 50% of their assignments and meet the deadline for predicted grades for their UCAS form. It was a very stressful time, and speaking to the Pastoral Officer helped them to see things more clearly. We discussed a plan to complete the required assignments while looking after their wellbeing. Our Pastoral Officer kept in touch by email to offer support. Alex was able to apply to university.
Our courses are designed to fit your life, but there are some deadlines to meet. Morgan had an NEA (non-examined assessment) to complete. Morgan has ADHD, which makes deadlines even more challenging. NEC's pastoral officer was able to offer some study skills and stress support to help them complete the work on time. Morgan was able to complete their course and sit exams and is now studying at university.
Any questions?
Please contact our friendly Course Advice Team to find out more about the additional support NEC can provide.
