St John's College

St. John’s College is an independent specialist college of further education, situated in the diverse and vibrant city of Brighton and Hove. We provide education, care, and therapy for autistic young people, aged 16-25, some of whom also have learning disabilities.

St. John’s College is a place where learning is shaped around young people’s hopes and aspirations. Our courses are tailored to meet young people’s goals. Learner voice is important. We respect choices and help our learners to consider different ideas and new experiences. Our highly skilled, trans-disciplinary, specialist staff team is dedicated to helping young people to achieve.

At St. John’s College, we promote learners’ sense of belonging and encourage everyone to take an active part in college life and to engage with opportunities in the community. The college has strong links with many organisations across Brighton and Hove, giving access to exciting employability placements and learning activities, in areas such as catering, horticulture, music and leisure.

We welcome learners to attend on a day or residential basis. We have five residential houses – three positioned on-site and two along the East Sussex coast, at Peacehaven and Telscombe. Learning is enhanced through our waking day curriculum, where our residential team support the development of independent living and social skills and access to the local community.

Ambitious about Autism

Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for autistic children and young people. We offer specialist education and support through Ambitious College, TreeHouse School, and The Rise School and St John’s College.

Ambitious College's values define how we work and ensure that children and young people with autism are at the heart of all that we do. We think everyone is entitled to lead a fulfilling, happy, and rewarding life; and this includes young people with autism.

Our learners are at the heart of everything we do, their curriculum is highly personalised to help them achieve their goals. We operate a person-centered approach. It is delivered by our highly skilled and friendly staff. We offer lots of opportunities to learn in the community through a range of partnerships with local employers, services, and our mainstream college partners.

As our name suggests, we are ambitious for our learners. We are a dedicated team of professionals who are passionate about our work in supporting young learners to live ordinary lives in their home community. We know that with the right opportunity and support they can achieve great things.

Ofsted- 

'Teachers and learning support workers know learners very well and work closely to  provide highly effective support. They use assistive technology skilfully to help learners to communicate and learn. For instance, learners who are nonverbal use  voice aids on electronic tablets to help them communicate. Multi-disciplinary teams,  including specialist services such as occupational and physiotherapy, ensure that  learners with the most complex needs receive very effective help and support.' Please see the full report here- 50253767 (ofsted.gov.uk)