The criteria for admission to the School and College will vary according to the age of the young person seeking a placement but the admissions procedure remains the same.

Some guidance is set out below but please feel free to contact our Admissions Secretary, Liz Coles, to discuss your individual requirements.

She can be contacted by e mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Or by telephoning: 01273 244008

Admission Procedures

At St. John's we recognise that you are at the point of making some very important decisions. To help you in this process you need to know how we manage our admission procedures.

On receipt of a letter seeking a placement from the local education authority, or Connexions Adviser our admission panel meets to discuss the relevant documents and advice that will have been provided. The multi disciplinary panel consists of the Chief Executive and the relevant senior managers. Other key staff, including nurses and therapists will be asked to contribute to that discussion where appropriate.

If we feel that St. John's may be appropriate the referring authority will be asked to arrange a visit for you and where appropriate the young person.

Following this visit and if you still wish to pursue a placement we then offer a short assessment period.

It is our practice to invite the young person to spend a short time with us following the initial referral so that we can get to know them. For resident young people this may entail an overnight stay of one or two nights for which there is no charge.

Following this 'taster' visit we will then meet with you to discuss any issues or ask for further information. The referral is then taken back to our admissions panel who will reach a decision regarding the suitability of St. John's for your young person. The Chief Executive will then make a formal offer of a place to the local authority, or an application for funding will be made to the YPLA.

St. John's School & College will only make an offer of a placement once a formal request has been received from the placing authority. Criteria for admission of learners aged under 19 years (learners with Statements):

• • A learning difficulty to a degree that requires a young person to have a statement of special educational need maintained by a Local Authority.
  • The provision by St. John's of an educational programme suitable for that young person and not available within educational provision found locally.
  • In addition, for resident placement, there will be a clear reference in the young person's statement to a need for residential provision.
  • A learning difficulty to a degree that requires a learner over 19 years to seek a placement through the support of the Learning and Skills Council.
  • Learners will be between the ages of 19 and 25.
  • The learning difficulties supported by St. John's will normally fall into the range described as moderate to severe. However, the additional needs experienced by most learners referred to St. John's will mean that their needs are complex in nature.
  • The provision by St. John's of an educational programme suitable for that learner and not available within educational provision found locally.

Criteria for admission of learners aged 19 and over (ceased Statements):

The learning difficulties supported by St. John's will normally fall into the range described as moderate or severe. However, the additional needs experienced by most young people referred to St. John's will mean that their needs are complex in nature.