Student Applications

We are now processing student applications for admission in September 2011 and 2012.

Pennine offers education, training and support for young people with special needs. Students are funded by the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA), the public body responsible for planning and funding education and training.

We welcome applications on behalf of all students, regardless of their disability or impairment, subject to our Admissions Criteria. To enquire about student vacancies, please phone our Admissions Secretary.

If you live reasonably close and would like to look round, our Summer and Advent Fairs (dates on the Home page) are ideal opportunities to see Pennine on a very informal basis. Although you won’t see our work or craft areas in operation, you will have a chance to meet students and co-workers as well as having a pleasant afternoon out.

Initial contact

First enquiries concerning student admissions can be made by telephone, letter or e-mail. Initial contact is usually made by Connexions advisers, although enquiries may be made by parents, social workers, schools or local education authorities.

Admissions procedure

The first step of the admissions procedure is to complete our Initial Student Enquiry form by phoning our Admissions Secretary on 01924 255281. It is essential that you discuss a possible application with the student’s Connexions Adviser beforehand. Please note that in accordance with current guidelines, we are unable to process applications until the student’s local-sector college has concluded that it cannot meet their needs.

We take great care to ensure that the education we offer meets the needs of individual students, so the application and assessment process can be quite lengthy.

Members of our Admissions Group will consider the information on the Initial Student Enquiry form. If we feel that we may be able to meet the prospective student’s needs, we will request further information including recent school, Connexions, respite care and medical reports, and a pen picture (preferably written by parents/carers). At this stage you may be invited to one of our Enquirers’ Initial Assessment Afternoons when you will have an opportunity to look round and to meet with members of the Admissions Group.

Following a successful Initial Assessment we will invite the prospective student, with their parents/guardians, social worker or others for an interview. During this an Interview Form will be completed and any questions arising from the reports will be discussed. 

After a successful interview the young person would be invited to a day assessment when they would join the current students in various activities.  Further visits, perhaps including an overnight stay, may follow.  If successful an offer of a place, subject to the YPLA criteria for funding being met, will be sent to parents/ carers, who are requested to accept in writing. In accepting the offer of a place, parents/carers agree to Pennine's Terms & Conditions of Placement.

Funding

When the offer of a place has been accepted in writing we will complete the necessary documentation which will be forwarded to Connexions, who will submit it to the Local Authority Placement Meeting.

Duration of funding is granted on an individual basis by the local authority acting on behalf of the YPLA. In exceptional cases we may be able to apply for an extension of funding and under some circumstances, when a student will clearly benefit from further time at Pennine, funding can be sought from a variety of sources, including social services, benefits and private means.