Opportunities in further education

Andrew Chiffers, Principal of Farleigh Further Education College Frome, part of Priory Education Services, discusses the opportunities in further education for students with learning difficulties and disabilities

Special Schools Year 12 and 13
Some Special Schools offer post 16 provision, but only to young people who attended the school as a pupil up to year 11. It is funded through Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and is usually managed by the Head Teacher of the school.

General Colleges of Further Education (GFE)
GFEs offer specially designed courses for students with moderate and severe learning difficulties. These courses usually include basic skills (literacy, numeracy and information technology), independence skills, personal development and vocational tasters.
Students who have Specific Learning Difficulties eg Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit, or a sensory impairment or physical disability can have support organised by the college so that they can access mainstream courses. This could take the form of note takers, signers, tutorials and personal support. The college applies to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for additional funds to pay for this support.

GFEs will have a ‘named person’ responsible for Learners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities. Details of how to contact this person will appear in the college’s prospectus.

Independent Specialist Colleges (ISCs)
There are more than 70 Independent Specialist Colleges (ISCs) in the United Kingdom. They vary in size and specialism and have developed to meet the needs of students with learning difficulties and disabilities past school leaving age. They are sometimes linked with major charitable organisations like MENCAP, RNIB, and RNID. The majority of these colleges are residential, with some day placements. A small number are for day students only. The LSC usually fund placements at these colleges, with contributions from Social Services and Health where appropriate.

Before funding is considered a student’s local GFE would have to agree that his/her needs could not be met there. Likely reasons for such a decision could be the learning difficulty being too specialised or severe and /or the need for a 24-hour curriculum.

The Connexions Service
Finding a suitable ISC and arranging funding can be a complex procedure. Help is available through the local Connexions Office. Most offices have Personal Advisers who are trained to provide specialist advice to students with learning difficulties and disabilities. They usually consult the NATSPEC directory, which is published by the Association of National Specialist Colleges and lists all ISCs. Application procedures can be lengthy, and may need to commence up to two years before a place is needed. Once a firm place is offered, the Connexions Adviser will approach the local LSC office to request funding. Each case is considered individually so to help with the process, the Adviser will need a full history and comprehensive evidence to support the request eg Statement of Special Educational Need, psychologist’s report or specialist medical report. Decisions are usually made within a few weeks.
How an ISC can help: a case study from an ISC for students with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS)

George had a history of school and college refusal and increasingly introverted behaviour, finding difficulty even in walking his beloved dog as he was overwhelmed by the anxiety of meeting people. Family relationships were strained and options for his future looked limited.

The ISC offered George a residential placement mid way through an academic year, the initial aim being to reverse the trend towards introverted behaviour, to initiate anxiety management and to prepare for the choice of an appropriate academic or vocational course the following September.

Initial assessments at the college were undertaken as a matter of course. The Speech and Language Therapist noted an especially long time taken to process responses to questions; this is a recognised feature of Asperger’s Syndrome. George’s mother had described tense situations at home, when he seemed unwilling to answer questions at all. After the assessment, long periods of time were allowed for George to respond and within weeks he was communicating tentatively with staff and other students and undertaking independence training. At this stage he felt ready to undertake taster courses at the ISC’s partner GFE College. At the partner college he was able to build his confidence incrementally, initially visiting the ISC’s base room on the GFE college campus. The base room is a vital element in the practice of the ISC, providing a refuge for students at break times and lunch times ie the times which people with AS find so confusing and challenging. George established his own place in the base room and began to explore the campus with his learning support worker until he felt confident enough to venture into a lecture room.

He chose to try an Information Technology Technician’s course, so was timetabled for practical workshops in the first instance, being supported at all times by his learning support worker. George’s confidence grew as he found that he could manage the work so he opted to attend more lectures, this time in IT related numeracy. This proved to be a strength, and surprisingly he found that he was confident enough to assist other students who found the work difficult.

This progress was accompanied by global improvements in communications, independence skills, social behaviour and most notably in his family relations as he returned home for college holidays.

By July of that year, George had built enough experience and self-esteem to make a positive choice for his full-time course. He chose a BTEC First Diploma in Animal Care and started in the following September. He has completed his first semester successfully, still accompanied by his learning support worker and is now considering applying for a place on the BTEC National Course, which is equivalent to 3 A levels.

Comment
This case study is not unusual for ISCs. They have the time, expertise and resources to make the difference between success and failure. George was misunderstood and had a bleak future in prospect. The investment of time and resources in George will be repaid many times over in terms of the quality of his life and his contribution to society.