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

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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.

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.

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,

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?

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...

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?

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

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

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.

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

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.