student handbook

LANGUAGE, LITERACY & NUMERACY SUPPORT

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Getting Ready for Success: Your Language, Literacy, and Numeracy (LLN) Assessment

Before you dive into your exciting study journey with us, there’s a quick but important step: an LLN assessment. Think of it as a friendly check-in to make sure you have the foundational skills to thrive in your chosen qualification level.

This assessment looks at five key areas that are super important for successful learning:

Learning: How you pick up new things.
Reading: Understanding written information (like textbooks and care notes).
Writing: Clearly communicating in writing (assessments, reports, emails, etc.).
Oral Communication: Confidently discussing information and asking questions.
Numeracy: Working with numbers (medication dosages, calculations, etc.).

Based on the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), you’ll receive a score in each of these areas. To start your training, there are minimum levels you’ll need to meet, depending on the specific qualification you’re enrolled in.

For each skill, you’ll be marked as either:

“Exit Level”: Awesome! This means you’re already proficient at that level.
“Working Level”: Great! You’re close to being proficient and will likely get there with the training we provide throughout the course.

What Happens if We Need a Little Extra Support?

If the assessment shows that your LLN level is a bit below what the course requires, don’t worry! We’re here to help. We’ll chat with you about your results and discuss the best options. This might include:

Accessing our in-house support: We may offer some extra training to help you build those skills and then you can retake the LLN assessment.
Exploring external options: We might suggest that you seek some external support or training first. In this case, we’d put your enrolment on hold until you feel ready to rejoin us.

In the rare situation where your LLN skills are significantly below the course requirements, we unfortunately reserve the right to refuse enrolment. If this happens, you’ll receive a full refund of any course fees you’ve paid.

Why is this important?

This assessment isn’t meant to be a hurdle. It’s about setting you up for success and ensuring you have the tools you need to confidently learn and excel in your animal care studies. We’re committed to supporting you on your learning journey!

Need a Little Extra Support? Let’s Chat!

If you have any concerns about your language, literacy, or numeracy skills, or if you think you might benefit from flexible learning or different ways of studying, please reach out to us before you enrol or start your course.

We’re here to listen and will do our best to accommodate your needs. This might involve adjusting how you learn with us. However, to ensure you have the best possible chance of success, we may also suggest some external LLN support services that can provide more specialised assistance.

In some cases, after discussing your needs, we might honestly feel that our current program isn’t the perfect fit for your unique learning style. We want you to thrive, and sometimes that means helping you find the most suitable learning environment, even if it’s not with us.