Access Adult Learning Centre


Activity day at Access Centre


Cooking with friends


James enjoying with flowers

Our students have varying abilities and requirements ranging from complex needs to those able to work in supported employment. Some have had experience of learning in special needs secondary schools and we support them in maintaining and developing these skills, throughout a substantial transition process until they formally move to Access. Other students want to participate in new activities and we offer a broad range of these in our daycentre activity rooms, our extensive grounds, in town and through accessing the countryside and local communities.

Our inside activities include: arts & crafts, literacy, computer skills, cookery, animal care, personal health care and use of a snoozelain. We have many workshops with external specialists. We have a drumming group, music group and dance group.

We also have activities based around therapeutic horticulture Growing for Life group, our outdoor heated pool, woodland walks and enjoying our new Sensory Garden.

Offsite activities include attending Colchester Institute courses or accessing the local community college (with our support), trampolining, visiting museums, the zoo and the cinema, bowling, accessing local transport and trips to the beach. We keep groups small so that on outings we can fit into one of our smaller mini busses and are more likely to mix well with the community.

Access also organises special events including discos, Halloween and Christmas parties and a Summer Family Fun Day.

We are committed to our students and celebrate their interests and their achievements within ECC, with parents and friends and in the wider community.

Access is open from 9.30 – 4.00pm, five days a week, forty-four weeks a year.

Students can attend Access on a sessional basis or full time, depending on need and funding. Our fees can be paid privately, by Social Services or from the student’s independent budget.