Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
SEN

Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

Original poster

Does anybody have experience of Farleigh Further Education College in Frome (for Aspergers)?

35 replies

countingto10 · 08/11/2008 12:15

We are going to an admissions day in December as DS1 is leaving school next year. It is run by the Priory Group. I just wondered if anybody knows it or has a child who attended.

Thanks.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
SENPARENT · 07/08/2016 19:02

Farleigh College is a specialist college for students on the autistic spectrum. If your daughter does not have a diagnosis of ASD it is unlikely she would be accepted as this is part of the admission criteria. They accept students aged 16 to 21 on entry.

Wyndyjan · 01/08/2016 08:01

Having only managed to attend school about 46% from year nine - ten because she has high anxiety and sleep issues my daughter is bring told she she will need to do GCSEs elsewhere - she will have to redo all the coursework - as she retook yr seven she is now sixteen and technically needs further education
Is farleigh the sort of place she needs ?
Jan

mum2anxious · 06/05/2015 14:52

Hi Delica
My thoughts about this - does your son have an ehc plan? He will need one for Farleigh, but, the problem then is that with an EHC plan he can go to mainstream FE college. If you have a statement then it might be better to hang on to it ( and fight for him to stay at Mark college) as he would then have to remain in a school - a statement cannot be funded at FE college. Have you had a transition review? Have you got strong reasons for wanting to move him to FFE over him staying where he is?
just my thoughts, might not be right - someone else might know.

Delica1968 · 30/04/2015 11:12

Please Can anyone help me. Im a desperate parent I have a 16 year old has been offered a place a Farleigh FE - and the LEA in BANES have said no the the a residential placement. He has been at Mark college for the last three years on a residential placement and the LEA have said No to residential to even stay on for a sixth for if i cant get the to change their minds about FFE. LEA are waiitng to hear if The local college can meets his needs and siad that i would need to prove that they cant. Ive very limited time and i really bad a wiriting this type of letter -- is there anyone out there that can give me any matereial. Oscar has ASD - a speech & language disorder- extreeme high anxiety. HELP

Skyfullofstars80 · 21/03/2015 16:54

Sorry to change to the subject but how easy did you find it to get the funding?

juanmo1 · 05/03/2015 14:11

Hi again Minimouse. My son is currently at Priory Lodge School in Roehampton.... in case you're not aware of it. He is a day pupil and there's no residential provision. It's a school but goes up to 19 years old although I'm not sure if they have any 19 year olds. Priory Lodge has supported my son well through a difficult 18 months. He is going to visit Farleigh for a couple of nights in about three weeks time so I think we'll be going through some similar experiences! Perhaps we should hook up on email?

Minim0use · 05/03/2015 12:57

Thank you juanmo - I think I might ask Patsy if she can do the same for me. The hope at the moment is that our daughter will start after Easter, with a trial week coming up soon. Caroline, the deputy head, came up to London to meet with the team around my daughter which was great and it is hugely reassuring to see that it's not just empty words that Farleigh will work closely with them as she transitions. It feels like so much rests on this going well, and that there are so few options out there for my daughter so it's not easy to formulate a plan B if it doesn't. Who knows, with any luck me and you might meet one day in the autumn on the platform at Paddington as we greet two happy young people coming home for the weekend...

juanmo1 · 05/03/2015 11:39

Hello MinimOuse.. My 17 year old son, with very similar description to your daughter has just been offered a place too, probably for September... We're London based too and it does feel a very long way doesn't it! I find it all quite terrifying too. I asked Farleigh whether they were able to give me any phone numbers of parents with children currently there and Patsy Lamb did... so perhaps that might be of use?

Minim0use · 20/01/2015 14:24

My sixteen year-old daughter with Aspergers and other mental health issues (self-harm, depression etc) has just been offered a place at Farleigh. It's such a long way from home (London) and we are very nervous around how she will settle in. We don't know whether to go for it mid-term or wait till September. I would love to hear some first-hand reports of how it has been for others. Thanks,

juanmo1 · 15/12/2014 13:21

Damselflyblue... I was wondering how things have been going for your son at Farleigh? We are seriously considering it for my son too. Best wishes.

juanmo1 · 02/09/2014 08:49

Damselflyblue. I am very interested to hear how he's getting on and how you are finding it too. Thanks!

Damselflyblue · 30/08/2014 02:01

Hi juanmo1
my son has just started at Farleigh and has a very similar personality/profile/history to your son. I'll let you know!

juanmo1 · 09/03/2014 16:12

Hello. I would be very interested to hear any recent views about Farleigh FE College. My son is nearly 17 and currently in a Priory Specialist school for Aspergers and high functioning autism and I hope he will stay there until he's 19. We are considering Farleigh as an option for FE if it seems like the right place and we can get my son to agree to a residential placment... My son is currently having 1-2-1 and finds even that very challenging as he has vicious circle of very high levels of anxiety and challenging sensory issues.. He will not leave the house apart from to go to school (brilliant he wants to go to school!!)... I'd be very interested to hear anyone's views. Thanks!!

erinlondon · 15/07/2012 11:24

Hi, Countinto10, I see that it is 3 years since this thread was started , but i am at the start of your journey, our lovely AS son has been accepeted into Farleigh FE Frome for septemeber 12, and I am having anxious times worrying if this is the right place for him and if they will meet a very shy, gentle aspies needs who has never been away from home. Please coud you update how your son got on and if it was a successful placement ?

Original poster
countingto10 · 09/07/2009 18:36

Just to let everyone know we finally secured the funding for the college last week but only for the year as everything is transferring from the Learning and Skills Council back to the LEA and we will have to apply to them for the following two years' funding (at £70K + a year!!!) - they don't like to make life easy for us.

Anyway DS is very very happy and we are all pleased that he is being given this wonderful opportunity.

OP posts:
Original poster
countingto10 · 01/03/2009 08:57

Hi again WetAugust,

Thanks for replying. Apparantly the LSC change their criteria quite often and now it is a requirement to visit and prove that local provision is not suitable (someone justifying their job I'm sure ). I'm hoping I don't have to jump through too many hoops and Farleigh seem quite confident of funding.

We've got a slight problem whereby my DS goes to school in a different connexions area to where we live so he has been seen and interviewed etc by one, very knowledgeable, lady and I'm having to deal with our local office about the funding and the woman hasn't even met my DS! She doesn't inspire me with confidence and I have told her that I don't feel she is particularly on my side. I also have a social worker who will put in a report as my DS does need a 24 hr curiculum (sp?) as his behaviour does impact on his much younger siblings.

Farleigh are very keen to have my DS(he fits in really well with their "type" of student) - no massive agression issues etc. just severe anxiety and major obsessions (to the exclusion of everything else ).

Once again, thanks for replying. How well your DS is doing is making me even more determined to secure funding!

OP posts:
WetAugust · 28/02/2009 22:23

Hi Counting...

It was Conexions who made the application to the L&SC for funding. We had a specialist SEN Connexions PA rather than the normal Connexions PA. I provided him with all the reports I had accumulated over the years from psychs, school etc and he made a case for submission to the L&SC. We never even had to look around any mainstream FE as even Connexions acknowledged that would not an option.

If you any any difficulties with securing the funsing I suggest you ring Farleigh as they have lots of experience in assisting with this and they know the right people to talk to within Connexions.

Not that you'll have any trouble I hope.

Original poster
countingto10 · 28/02/2009 20:51

Thanks WetAugust.

It's reassuring to hearing you didn't have too much trouble with funding. We went to visit a local college yesterday (which is obviously not suitable) and they are going to put in their report.

I'm very glad your son had such a positive experience - my DS really wants to go there and I'm sure he will benefit from it in the same way as your DS.

It's just the waiting for confirmation of the funding........

OP posts:
WetAugust · 25/02/2009 21:58

Hi

My son went to Farleigh College for 3 years to sit GCSEs and A levels. No local FE College could support his needs so Farleigh was the only option. He was residential coming home every weekend although he could have stayed alternative weekends.

They produce fantastic outcomes both educationally and pastorally with a lot of emphasis placed on independence training. They encouraged a full social life with lots of activities. He?s now at Uni studying a Science degree.

Funding was secured from the L&SC council via Connexions and was a doddle compared to getting funding for a placement from the LEA.

Hope you get your funding confirmed soon.

lizir · 23/02/2009 10:27

Hi countingto10 - many thanks for all that. DS back to school tomorrow and then I feel a whole load of paperwork/phoning coming on! lizir

Original poster
countingto10 · 21/02/2009 18:03

Hi Lizir,

I know kids from my DS's school have gone to Stanbridge Earls and I think that is an independent school. Their fees are being met by the LEA.

I think it is the usual story, you have to prove no other school can meet his needs and neither can the local colleges.

Because I want my DS to go to Farleigh I have to go through the Learning Skills Council and am also having to prove the local colleges cannot meet his needs etc.

If he is already going to an "out of county" school and the LEA is paying for it, it should be slightly easier IMO.

We've also go to try and carry on getting funding from the LEA for my DS's transport to and from the college.

OP posts:
lizir · 20/02/2009 19:49

Can anyone help us if they have had experience of Aspergers child moving from (small) special school to 6th form in the independent sector? The school we have found is the ONLY one doing the subject combination ds needs and taking into account the campus, facilities etc. we think it is the only way for us to go. However - how do we go about trying to get funding? Anyone know who is the first port of call? Local Parent Partnership says no chance of LEA help so would love to hear if anyone has achieved financial help from them. DS is statemented. Thanks. lizir

Original poster
countingto10 · 01/01/2009 21:31

Thanks for your post Lostsoul. I have taken some time to look at your blog and, from my understanding, it seems that you would have liked to have returned to Farleigh.

From the admissions day we've been through, it appears that they have put procedures/structures in place so that, hopefully, a situation like yours doesn't arise again.

Best wishes for the future.

OP posts:
lostsoul2006 · 31/12/2008 16:03

Oh my god do not go for this school. They may look ok but they aren't. I begged them for help because I wasn't in control of my behaviour and I was aware of it. I got kicked out for harrasment. And since 2006 my life has been wrecked. They got me sectioned because they even got the police involved. I ended up in a hospital where there was violent people and now I'm in a care home where there is violent people. It wasn't helpful. If you'd like proof. Read my blog entries from 2006 at my website. type assgo in google and you'll find it.

Original poster
countingto10 · 16/12/2008 17:45

Fantastic news - he's been offered a place!!!

Now to arrange the funding.......

OP posts: