The University of Leeds believes that being or becoming pregnant, terminating a pregnancy or having a very young child should not, in itself, be a barrier to applying for, starting, succeeding in, or completing a programme of study at the University of Leeds.  Providing academic standards are upheld, we are committed to being as flexible as possible to support students in these circumstances and ensure they have access to their course.

Student Parents

The University also recognises that students who are parents may have additional support needs to students without such responsibilities. In recognition of this, the Lifelong Learning Centre has put together a web page on the range of support available to you.

Policy on support for pregnant students

We now have in place a comprehensive policy and guidance notes on support for pregnant students and students with very young children.  If you are pregnant or have a young family, we recommend that you read this policy and guidance.

The rest of this webpage provides some information about practical sources of support. Most of this information is taken from the policy mentioned above.

What support is available to assist students in deciding whether or not to continue with a pregnancy?

Whilst only you yourself can make the decision as to whether or not to continue with a pregnancy, a range of services across the University and students’ union can assist by providing confidential support and information about the options available, and, in some cases, other practical assistance.  These services include, for example:

• the Leeds University Union (LUU) Student Advice Centre
• the Student Counselling Centre

You also have access to external organisations for information, advice or support. These include your own GP, Brook Advisory Centres, the Marie Stopes International Leeds Centre, the Family Planning Association and Leeds Pregnancy Crisis Centre.

Should I tell my academic department that I am pregnant?

Whilst you are not under any obligation to inform your academic department if you become pregnant, have a child, or decide to terminate a pregnancy whilst you are a student here, your department will not be able to take a flexible approach to meeting your needs, or provide support to you, unless it knows about the situation.  Also, there may be elements of your course that could present a health and safety risk to you and/or your child.  Again, your department will not be able to take appropriate steps to assess and manage these risks if you do not inform them.  Therefore, there are strong reasons why you should inform your department as early as possible.

Within the policy on support for pregnant students and students with very young children, we have published information about the process that you and your department should follow to consider any adjustments to your course that are required to take account of your individual circumstances.

Are there other sources of support available on campus?

You may also wish to consider contacting any of the following sources of advice, information and practical support on campus:

• Access to Learning Fund, which can provide financial assistance to students
• Accommodation Services
• Leeds University Union (LUU) which can provide advice to students via their Student Advice Centre and can also provide a range some practical and financial support – for example, through their New Born Baby Fund, Abortion Fund and the Student Parents’ Assembly
• Student Counselling Centre
• Universities Chaplaincy in Leeds
• International Student Office
• Bright Beginnings Childcare Centre – an on-campus nursery for children aged between 3 months and 5 years – telephone: 0113 343 1818

The government has also produced a Every child matters website for looking for childcare.