Mainstreaming adjustments

Guidance for staff on mainstreaming adjustments.

What is mainstreaming?

Making reasonable adjustments that are commonly available to disabled students available to all students.  This is an inclusive practice that also helps remove barriers for widening participation students, or those with other protected characteristics. For some students it can reduce or remove the need for them to engage with our service and processes.

Under the Equality Act 2010, there is a duty to anticipate disabled students’ needs. Each year, over 20% of our students disclose a disability when they apply. Using an inclusive and mainstreamed approach to common reasonable adjustments demonstrates that we are anticipating our disabled students’ needs.


Regardless of their specific disability, most students most students mainly need more time to complete tasks, therefore the most common adjustment is extra time for exams, class tests or coursework.

Many schools already support this by using a mainstream approach. For example, if a class test is designed to take 20 minutes, allow 40 minutes for everyone. This practice allows all students enough time to complete the task and removes the need to identify students with extra time adjustments. It also streamlines the process for staff.


Each year, DLSS supports many students across all Schools by creating SoAs, tailored to each student’s needs and their specific programme of study. These SoAs outline the additional support a student needs beyond the baseline standards, which should be available to all.

Mainstreaming some common reasonable adjustments does not remove the need for additional adjustments for most disabled students


Most students appreciate an inclusive and mainstreamed approach to timed tests. However, sometimes disabled students interpret the common extra time adjustment to mean that they should always get more time than others, even when enough time has been given for everyone to complete the task.

In this scenario, the mainstreaming approach has met their needs and our duty under the Equality Act. The test allows enough time for all students, including those who may take longer to complete it. To make this work well, it’s important to clearly explain to students how long the task is expected to take and that extra time has already been built in for those who need it.


What are baseline standards?

Baseline standards are part of the Accessible and Inclusive Learning Policy (AILP) (link opens PDF in new window) and include seven adjustments that are available to all students.

The current baseline standards are:

  1. All teaching staff shall ensure that microphones are worn and used in all lectures regardless of the perceived need to wear them.
  2. A student shall be permitted to make audio recording of their lectures, tutorials and supervision sessions using their own equipment for the sole purpose of their own personal learning.
  3. Lecture outlines or presentation slides for lectures and seminars shall be made available to students at least 24 hours in advance of the class for all students to access as required.
  4. Key technical words, terms or formulae used in a class shall be provided to students at least 24 hours in advance of the class that they are being used in.
  5. Course outlines and reading lists shall be made available at least four weeks before the start of the course.
  6. Reading lists shall indicate priority and/or relevance.
  7. Students shall be notified by email announcement of changes to any teaching arrangements, for example changes to courses, room changes or class cancellations.
  8. Teaching staff and examiners shall ensure their materials such as slides, lecture outlines, examinations and other electronic documents are accessible.

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