Flourish FE was established in September of 2019.
The provision was opened after consultation with Knowsley Borough Council and in collaboration with a small group of parents who felt that there was no specialist further education establishment currently within borough that could meet the high needs of their children who were now reaching 19 years of age. The most appropriate FE provision for young people such as these was out of borough a daily round trip of approximately 36 miles.
Discussions were formalised – costings and benefits were collated and a business plan presenting this along with the positive potential impact for educational progress and development was submitted.
As a result, it was concluded that a cost-effective 19+ High Needs Further Education provision could be provided within borough. An overarching and more important impact that the curriculum for Preparation for Adulthood outcomes could be delivered in a more meaningful and relevant local setting.
The continuing difficulty with educating young people with such high needs out of borough is not only the transition out into a new community with which they are unfamiliar; but then after approximately a period of three-year further education they would need additional support for skills transference back into their own community, another unnecessary and difficult transitional period; which in effect could be totally mitigated by educating within borough.
As a result, in September of 2019 Flourish FE became the first specialist high needs provision to open in Knowsley to specifically cater for and meet the needs of young people who had no other alternative education option within borough.
Now in its fourth year it has grown steadily and has reached capacity for the number of learners it will teach on site at any one time. The first group of successful achievers left in the summer of 2022 having complete their course and gaining qualifications.
Flourish FE is part of Knowsley Family and Community Education a local authority provider who in their last inspection of November 2021 Ofsted judged as Good.