Reasonable adjustments
How to request an adjustment to assessment arrangements, what evidence we need, and when to apply.
Last updated 2 November 2026
Contents
Purpose
- To ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills or understanding to the level of attainment required within each qualification.
- To remove barriers to entry where possible.
Scope
- This policy applies to all students and prospective students of NSA who are affected by a disability meaning they could experience a disadvantage.
- This policy is a general statement of our approach to reasonable adjustments. It does not set out how we will approach every situation. Reasonable adjustments will be tailored to the individuals requesting them and the relevant circumstances.
Definitions
- Reasonable adjustments means a change to the way that we usually do things, to ensure that everybody can access our services and to remove or reduce disadvantages experienced by learners.
- Reasonable will depend on the circumstances of an individual case and an assessment of factors, which may include:
- The effectiveness of the adjustment, at removing or reducing the disadvantage(s) experienced by the person with a disability;
- The practicality of the adjustment i.e. the resource implications of making it;
- The cost of making the adjustment;
- The impact of the adjustment, to other people and to our systems or processes;
- The health and safety implications of making the adjustment.
Policy Statement
- NSA will review cases where:
- A student has a physical, sensory or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Under equalities legislation, students are deemed to have such impairment if they can show that the condition:
- is more than minor or trivial,
- has an effect that has lasted or is likely to last for at least twelve months, and/or
- affects everyday things like eating, washing, walking and going shopping.
- A student has a temporary physical, sensory or mental impairment.
Students are deemed to have a temporary physical, sensory or mental impairment if the condition is under one year’s duration and is likely to improve. Examples of temporary disability could include broken limbs or injury to hands which could impair a student’s ability to write.
- A student has a physical, sensory or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
- Supporting evidence will be required in all cases. Evidence could include medical reports from doctors, psychiatrists, educational psychologists, specialist teachers, or funding agencies.
- NSA is committed to removing barriers to entry where possible, and already employs techniques such as:
- using assignments to be completed in the student’s preferred environment rather than examination;
- using plain English and avoiding jargon;
- allowing learners to use any software or technology to assist with reading the assessments or associated material.
- If additional reasonable adjustments are required, these may include:
- extra time to complete assessments;
- provision of a written explanation of any stimulus material that consists of a picture, chart, or other image;
- providing documents or correspondence in a larger font size;
- providing documents or correspondence with a specific colour contrast, to help people with conditions like dyslexia;
- providing information in a different format than we usually would, to make it accessible.
Procedure for applying for a reasonable adjustment
- All students must submit their request for a reasonable adjustment on or before the enrolment date for a qualification.
- If the need for a reasonable adjustment arises during the course of the qualification, students must notify us as soon as is reasonably possible.
- Reasonable adjustments cannot be retrospectively applied – such as for the purposes of explaining reasoning behind receiving a refer grade on an assessment or being under investigation for malpractice.
- Students must request a Reasonable Adjustments Request Form, complete the form and submit it to support@nationalsafetyacademy.co.uk.
- A decision on reasonable adjustments will be provided to the student within five working days.
- Where a request is declined, written reasons for the refusal will be given.
- NSA reserves the right to refuse requests. If an adjustment is made without written approval from NSA, this could constitute malpractice.
- Once a reasonable adjustment has been agreed and implemented, no further adjustment will be made to the assessment or marking process.
Complaints procedure
- If you are unhappy with all or part of our decision about a request for a reasonable adjustment, or the way in which we handled the request, then you can submit a complaint to complaints@nationalsafetyacademy.co.uk.
Monitoring and Review
- NSA record reasonable adjustments that have been requested and/or made. These records may be used to review and improve the quality of the services that we provide.
Other documents
Every National Safety Academy learner agrees to these policies on enrolment. Read them alongside our terms and privacy policy.
Questions about this policy?
Our team can explain how it applies to your course, or help you make a request under it.
0161 399 0702hello@nationalsafetyacademy.co.uk