For Further Education
If you are interested in a specialist college placement, then it is important to start visiting potential colleges as early as possible. We recommend at least one year before your intended starting year. This allows time for the college's pre-admissions process and for funding decisions to be made.
The first step of the process is to contact your Prospects or Careers Advisers, who should be available at your current school. They will help you to apply for specialist college funding.
Funding decisions are controlled by your Local Authority and procedures may vary between counties. In recent legislation, the Government has made it clear that it expects parents to have a lot more say in the choice of placement their son or daughter attends after school. Therefore, you should make it clear to your Adviser about your preferred college from the beginning. You may be asked to attend an assessment at your local mainstream college, however, you can still request an assessment at a specialist college if this is your preferred choice.
Once you have had an assessment at the college, and possibly an assessment at your local mainstream college, your case will go forward to be discussed at a panel hearing. You will receive a letter informing you of the decision shortly after this date. You have the right to dispute this decision if you disagree with the outcome.
For Social Services Programmes
If you are interested in one of our Social Services programmes, funding can be arranged directly through Social Services or using your personalised budget. This allows you to create a tailored programme that suits your individual needs. You will need to contact your Social Worker to discuss this option.
For more information about funding or admissions for any of our programmes please contact the College.