On this page:
  • Changes from school to university
  • What can I do to prepare my child for studying at Imperial?
  • Who can I speak to for information on my child?
  • What can I do if I have serious concerns about my child's wellbeing?
  • What can Imperial tell me?

Changes from school to university

The transition from school to university can be a challenging one and parents and guardians may often have concerns over what they can do to help make this an easier process.
The two most important changes from school are:
  • the responsibility lies with the student to be proactive about their support needs;
  • many arrangements are not put in place automatically.  

What can I do to prepare my child for studying at Imperial?

Here are a few tips to help your child prepare for their time at Imperial.

Tips for parents and guardians

Disclose

Encourage your child to disclose on their UCAS application or directly to us via email. To ensure reasonable adjustments can be made for your child, we advise you to get in touch sooner rather than later.

Contacting our service

If you now have enrolled at Imperial for the new academic year, you can make an appointment with one of our advisors using your Imperial email address. 

Get evidence ready

Having up-to-date and relevant evidence will ensure we can put in place any support or adjustments your child may need smoothly and quickly.

Encourage pro-activeness and independence

As student support does not happen automatically, your child will need to contact us to request support is put in place.

Arrange accommodation

Imperial will send firm offer holders the accommodation application form during the summer. Please ensure they disclose any specific rooming requirements they may need on their accommodation application. If they are likely to need their room adapting, for example, a fridge to store medication or a hoist, please make an appointment with the Disability Advisory Service during the summer.  

Apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)

Your child may be eligible for extra funding through student finance. The government's DSA website has further information. Please be aware, most disabled students at Imperial get all the support they need without having to apply for this government grant, which is available only for students who are resident in the UK. However, students who need lots of assistive software or have more complex needs may still wish to apply for DSAs. We have detailed guides on the DSA application process on our Adjustments and support page.  

Attend the transition event

We offer a two-day transition welcome event for students on the autistic spectrum. This happens just before Welcome Week starts. We will send an invite for this during the summer. Encourage your child to attend. 

Know what support is available at Imperial

There are various university support teams that can support your child, academically and pastorally. Visit their pages and meet them on open days.

Who can I speak to for information on my child?

Prospective students

The Disability Advisory Service can respond to enquiries from prospective students and parents/guardians at any time during the admissions process. We can respond to general enquiries about available support. 

Current students

Once a student is enrolled at Imperial, the Disability Advisory Service is not at liberty to disclose any information about that student, their disability or their progress to anyone outside the College. This includes parents and guardians. 
Current students may give consent for the Disability Advisory Service to disclose information to a named person.  

What can I do if I have serious concerns about my child's wellbeing?

If you have a serious concern about the wellbeing of your child, please read the concerned about a student's wellbeing or safety page. 
You are also welcome to contact the Disability Advisory Service to discuss your concerns. 
 

What can Imperial tell me?

If you report a student concern to us, we will ensure that all appropriate steps are taken to support the person you are worried about. We can also give you advice about what you can do to support them. However, in line with current data protection legislation, we will not be able to share any further information with you about the person, even if you are their parent or guardian, unless they give us written permission to do so.
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