About The Mayflower - Why We Do It?

Young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have a right to a place in their local community and to access the same opportunities as their peers.  This is reflected in the Disability Discrimination Act, where it states that it is illegal for schools, colleges, employers and service providers to treat a disabled person less favourably than a non-disabled person.

Following this, the Government want to demonstrate their commitment to removing barriers to inclusion by directing the Learning and Skills Council to develop a national strategy for regional and local implementation.  The outcome of the subsequent ‘Improving Choice’ pilot in the Eastern Region
provided the funding for the development of inter-agency collaboration with partners, to coordinate and provide high quality, learner-centred, cost-effective and tailor-made learning plans to meet the needs of post-16 learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities within their area.

The Learning and Skills Council identified that there was a lack of specialised educational provision within Bedfordshire and Luton, limiting some learner’s choice of place to Out of County Specialist Residential Colleges away from family, friends and familiar surroundings.  The Mayflower set about redressing this need.