HTFT Partnership is committed to ensuring every apprentice can achieve their full potential. Our dedicated Learning Support team is here to remove barriers and provide personalised guidance throughout your journey.
📧 le*************@****************co.ukOur dedicated Additional Learning Support (ALS) team brings extensive experience in apprenticeship delivery, specialist learning support, and inclusive education. They carry out initial assessments and create tailored support plans designed to remove barriers to learning.
Director of Apprenticeships
Inclusion & Wellbeing Lead
Every learner who discloses a learning difficulty or disability is contacted personally by Inclusion and Wellbeing Lead Chris Elphick, who invites them to an initial meeting to discuss their support needs. Every apprentice is asked to complete an Initial Cognitive Assessment to help identify any areas where additional support may be beneficial, and every learner has this available to them on request. AAT accept the results of this Cognitive Assessment when awarding additional time where a need is identified. CIMA and ACCA still require a signed Form 8 from a qualified practitioner.
A tailored support plan is created by Chris based on each learner's individual needs, drawing on the outcomes of their initial meeting and cognitive assessment. 1:2:1 sessions with Chris are available to work through barriers to learning and put agreed strategies in place.
We provide regular check-ins to every supported learner — on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis depending on the level of support required. These touchpoints ensure learners feel consistently supported and that any new barriers are identified and addressed quickly.
We follow a graduated Assess, Plan, Do, Review, Taper approach, with support reviewed as a minimum every quarter to ensure it remains appropriate. We assess each learner's needs, plan and put support in place, deliver it, then review its impact — tapering support as barriers are removed and confidence grows. Adjustments can be made at any point to ensure equitable access to programme content and resources.
We provide a wide range of tailored support, designed around the individual. Below are examples of what our ALS team can offer:
All of our recorded content sits on Vimeo. The player has several built-in features that make watching easier.
Click the "CC" button on the bottom toolbar to switch subtitles on. Captions can help if you find it easier to read along while you listen, or if you're studying somewhere noisy.
Click the transcript button to open a full written transcript. You can read it instead of, or alongside, watching. There's also a search box so you can jump straight to a topic.
Click the settings (cog) button, then choose "Speed". Slow the video down to take in detail, or speed it up to review something you already know.
If you are dyslexic, have ADHD, or simply want strategies that suit how your brain works, these organisations offer practical, accessible advice.
Practical advice on reading, writing, organisation and exams.
Advice for adults & students →Short, accessible episodes on dyslexia, ADHD and learning strategies. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Audio learning can be much easier than long stretches of reading, and it's great for picking up concepts while you're out walking or commuting.
The right tools can take a lot of the strain out of reading, note-taking and working through finance problems.
NaturalReader — naturalreaders.com
Microsoft Immersive Reader — built into Word, OneNote and Edge.
Read&Write by Texthelp — a comprehensive literacy support toolbar for reading, writing and studying.
Notion or OneNote — visual and flexible, great for non-linear thinking.
MindMeister or XMind — for mind mapping finance concepts.
Desmos — visual graphs and sliders.
Wolfram Alpha — step-by-step explanations rather than just answers.
A few approaches that work well, particularly for dyslexic finance learners.
All of the major awarding bodies offer reasonable adjustments and extra support in assessments — for example extra time, a reader, or assistive software. Check the details well before your exam, as some adjustments need to be arranged in advance and may require evidence.
Want to talk it through?
If you'd like to discuss the support available to you, or you're not sure where to start, please speak to your Talent Mentor or contact Chris Elphick directly using the link below.
Statutory guidance for learners with SEND
Government guidance on workplace assessments
How to access a formal diagnosis
NHS guidance on getting an autism diagnosis
NHS guidance on getting an ADHD diagnosis
Reasonable adjustments and your rights
Explore the latest articles from HTFT Insights — our blog of practical study advice, exam strategies, and thinking on inclusion and apprenticeship success.
Practical, realistic study strategies for fitting AAT around work and life — helpful for any apprentice building a routine that works for them.
Read more →Our tutors share a structured three-round approach to tackling CIMA objective test papers, from first pass to final review.
Read more →
