Last updated 04-07-25

Disability Service Contact Information (for the ‘contacts’ section of the report).

Recommended NMH Providers.

IMPORTANT: RVC courses tend to run over an extended academic year compared to many universities, typically up to 42 weeks but this can increase to 46. Do check the academic year length with the student (or contact the Disability Team) when recommending support you expect to average out to 1 hour per week during term-time. 

BAND 4 – Specialist Access and Learning Support Providers.

The college has worked closely with the following providers to help ensure they can offer appropriate support for students on intensive veterinary medicine/animal sciences course and recommends needs assessors should check potential support availability with these providers in the first instance: -

Course-related information.

Please explore and consider the demands of placements and practical research activities during the needs assessment. Aids that might help with organisation, time management, accessing complex veterinary medicine information in practical settings could be helpful to explore. 

IMPORTANT: Students at the college often take 'written' exams in off campus locations, details of possible locations are provided below. Do take this into account when recommending taxis, or any support specifically related to exam issues. 

Veterinary Medicine and related degrees can take 4 to 6 years to complete and include a large amount of time spent on placements and on hospital 'rotations' on and off the campuses. Typically, the first two years of the pre-clinical training are undertaken at the Camden campus and the last three years of clinical training undertaken at the Hawkshead campus, Potters Bar. Students can choose to undertake placement-based study activities across the UK.

The Veterinary Nursing degrees at the RVC follow a part-academic / part vocational route.

Other BSc. undergraduate degrees (including MSCi courses) can include a sandwich year and have a significant research element.

Most courses have significant placement / research elements. Students will have the best chance of success if they have fully explored the range of strategies they can use during placements e.g. organisation aids, use of ongoing NMH support via remote methods, aids to executive functioning, study and research tools.

Information for section "B-4 Higher Education Provider Support / Reasonable Adjustments".

Location and Physical Access

The college is based on 2 campuses:

Camden: Royal College Street London NW1 0TU and Hawkshead: Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield Hertfordshire AL9 7TA (includes Boltons Park Farm)

Campus accessibility information should be listed on https://www.accessable.co.uk/ in due course. Meanwhile please contact the college directly if you have any concerns about physical access to the campuses.

The Camden campus has a ramp at the main entrance (leading to a separate entrance door) but note that campus security currently require this entrance to monitored by a call system. Security say (13-03-24) "The ramp is not on a general access for security reasons, if this door is to be used by all then front of house security could be compromised due to the length of time the door would take to close (for wheelchair access). As there is on occasion only one person on the front desk monitoring access focusing on two separate entrances at busy times would be near to impossible. We have had several occasions where people have attempted to gain entry to campus by tailgating students. The call system is in place so that security know who the person is plus can provide assistance if required, at no point will security question or ask about any disability hidden or otherwise." Security also say the gate to the ramp is 'closed out of hours' due to security issues but will be left open if 'security are aware' anyone who might need to use the ramp are going to be on site during later hours. 

The Camden campus is located ‘within walking distance’ of Camden Road TFL overland station, Mornington Crescent TFL underground station and Kings Cross St Pancras national/TFL stations.

Buses also run between these locations and the campus for example the 46 bus route, more information at https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/46/. For information about accessible routes via TFL check https://tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/plan-anaccessible-journey

Students with additional support needs while travelling into or across London can try arranging support in advance via the passenger assist service https://booking.passengerassistance.com/

The college operates a shuttle bus between Potters Bar Rail Station and the Hawkshead Campus.

Assistive Technology.

ClaroRead is available on all networked PCs on both campuses and on loan laptops available for temporary use. 

Software available for demonstration and evaluation in the Disability Service includes Booost, Caption.Ed, EquatIO, Genio/Glean, Read & Write and TalkType.

Lecture Capture/Recording.

The college uses Panopto for recording and delivery of lectures and other teaching/learning resources, delivered via the internal RVCLearn service. This appears to work well for many students with recordings being uploaded soon after lectures are complete. Information about accessibility features of Panopto can be found at https://support.panopto.com/s/article/Learn-About-Accessibility-Features

Examinations & Assessments.

Students can contact the disability team to discuss reasonable adjustments in examinations/assessments. Examination periods can be particularly intensive because of the complex way courses are delivered. 

For taxi allowance recommendations - Exams may be delivered on either of the above campuses or at the following off-campus locations:

The Royal National Hotel London WC1H 0DG 
Tobacco Docks, Wapping Lane London E1W 2SF
Emirates Stadium and Dial Square, London N7 7AJ
Thistle Hotel, Bryanston Street, London W1H 7EH
London Irish Centre, 50-52 Camden Square, London NW1 9XB
Grand Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5DA
StoneX Stadium, Greenlands Lane, London NW4 1RL
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT
Hilton London Metropole, 225 Edgware Road, London W2 1JU

All written exams are taking on computer.  These are usually Windows PCs. 

Many courses require students to undertake assessed practical tasks involving clinical skills. The adjustments available may be subject to the competence being tested, but the college will try to make reasonable adjustments in practical and clinical skills assessments wherever this might be possible. 

Study Skills.

The college provides general study skills support for all students, including help with time management, academic reading skills, research techniques, revision and examination skills. These study skills tutors often work with neurodivergent students and are very knowledgeable about the demands of the courses. These tutors do not provide specialist dyslexia or neurodivergence study skills support but are an invaluable resource for all students. More information can be found at https://www.rvc.ac.uk/study/support-for-students/getting-support/study-skills 

Student Advice and Wellbeing.

Students can find out about the range of wellbeing, advice and support available at the college by referring to https://www.rvc.ac.uk/study/support-for-students/getting-support/advice-centre/health-and-wellbeing  or by contacting advice@rvc.ac.uk

Further information about disability support at the college.

More information about the support available at the college can be found at https://www.rvc.ac.uk/study/support-for-students/getting-support/advice-centre/disabilities-dyslexia-and-long-term-health-differences or by contacting the disability team on disability@rvc.ac.uk

Information about Reasonable Adjustments for vet medicine and vet nursing students.

RCVS Guides are very helpful:

Reasonable Adjustments For Student Vets.

Reasonable Adjustments For Student Vet Nurses.