Treloar’s is an institution that provides renowned education and care to physically disabled young people, with the mission to empower them to live independently.
The earliest records of Treloar’s students attending classes at Alton College dates back to 1978, meaning that for well over 45 years, Alton has supported Treloar’s by bridging the gap between specialist and mainstream education.
This is a unique and inspiring partnership that allows disabled students to access their full-time study programme in a welcoming mainstream environment at Alton College whilst having their care needs met at Treloar’s.
Treloar’s students are fully integrated into all aspects of college life at Alton.
These students are welcome to access both Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in a wide variety of subjects, all of which Alton has tailored to strengthen the independence and confidence of young people.
There is also a dedicated team of specialist learning support assistants on hand at Alton to provide any personal support and care that the Treloar’s students require to access their education alongside their peers.
Ben Bastin, Head of College at Treloar’s, described this partnership warmly, saying:
“The partnership between Treloar’s and Alton College is unique in being able to support physically disabled young people to study and achieve alongside their non-disabled peers. This is a clear example of specialist and mainstream collaboration which is transformative for our young people.”
Ashley Grute, Alton College’s Assistant Principal for Curriculum, added:
“This partnership really helps young people to thrive beyond the classroom – students from Treloar’s are integrated fully into the Alton College community, with some helping to serve on our Student Union to improve the lives of other students.”
Alton is proud to be an inclusive partner of Treloar’s.
Recently, a short film was released as a celebration of this decades-long partnership between two leading educational institutions. This film delves into the key role that Alton College plays in welcoming and educating Treloar’s students in a mainstream setting whilst also encouraging their aspirations and helping them to achieve their goals.
One such Treloar’s student featured in the film is Arlo, who was able to take advantage of an opportunity to go on an 18-day trip with Alton College to Mexico. Arlo, who has multiple complex disabilities and uses an electric wheelchair, filmed a documentary of his experiences on the trip, providing him with a once-in-a-lifetime experience as well as an opportunity to hone his filmmaking skills.
Arlo looked back fondly at this experience at a screening of his documentary at HSDC’s Havant Campus last autumn, which was attended by his former classmates, college staff and special guests. At the screening, Arlo said :
“Electric chairs are foreign to a lot of people. I hadn’t even touched a proper camera a week before we flew out to Mexico. It gave me a great perspective on how shots are composed, and the importance of collaboration. Using the camera gave me a sense of independence and opened up a lot of opportunities. It showed me that I can do it, that it’s possible.”
Now at university, Arlo is hoping to seize further opportunities to go on placement years abroad with the hopes of pursuing a career in the media industry. Without the pathway between Alton and Treloar’s, Arlo believes that he would have never considered these opportunities, making it a truly inclusive and aspirational partnership for all who embark upon it.
The film also introduces the audience to Evie, a student on the pathway who has a rare genetic disorder. Evie’s mum says that the partnership between Alton and Treloar’s was a fantastic way for her to get back into mainstream education:
“I didn’t envisage Evie having an independent future, but from day one of her joining the college, it’s almost indescribable how much she’s grown in confidence. Her journey since joining Alton has been so much bigger than I thought it would be.”
Evie’s drum lessons are a great extracurricular activity.
Evie, who enjoys frequent drum lessons alongside her regular timetable, said:
“I’ve made so many friends. I enjoy the mainstream environment and the independence it provides. I never thought I would have this opportunity, but I love it.”
Ben Bastin noted the inclusivity of this partnership with Alton and how it has helped so many Treloar’s students thrive:
“We are incredibly proud of the achievements that this programme has enabled our young people to secure and we know that in any other environment this would not have been possible. This is true inclusion in every sense.”
Looking to the future of this successful and longstanding partnership, Ashley Grute said:
“We look forward to welcoming more Treloar’s students with open arms to come and enrich the community and culture that we have here at Alton.”
To find out more about this partnership, please visit: https://www.treloar.org.uk/hsdc-alton-college