To mark the release of the lABLEd Podcast’s latest episode in its new spotlight series on Disability and Institutionalisation, in which they speak to Paige Tabone, a former student of the specialised residential setting Treloar’s, we at Crip Life™ wanted to feature some more stories from former students about their experiences of attending the residential school and college. The podcast hostsAlice Evans and Lucy Wood created this series to move beyond stereotypes – exploring how institutions shape disabled lives, highlighting both the challenges they bring and the opportunities for growth.
In this article, three additional former students share the benefits and challenges of attending a residential setting, and how their time at Treloar’s impacted their futures.
Former Treloar’s students reflect on disability, institutionalisation and independence
Treloar’s is a registered charity that enables education for children and young people with physical, sensory and learning impairments.
Our editor, Emma Purcell, attended Treloar’s from 2008 to 2013. She then continued to live in the independent accommodation while studying her journalism degree at nearby UCA Farnham until 2017.
Speaking about her time at Trloar’s, Emma said: “I made lots of friends, some of whom I’m still close to a decade on, I was accommodated excellently both academically and with my personal care in the boarding houses and managed to complete my GCSEs.
“Treloar’s gave me confidence in becoming independent and going on to complete A-Levels, my degree and going into full-time work. My friends from this school initiated my passion for music and my love of attending live gigs and festivals. I have so many memories from this school that I will treasure forever.
“The only small downside is that I was led to believe life would just slot neatly into place once I left — that starting university, finding the right care support, and getting accessible accommodation would all be straightforward. But in reality, it’s been far more complicated than I expected.”
Peter Langton attended Treloars from September 2016 to July 2018. He shared his benefits of attending a residential setting:
“To be more independent, to learn about a more structured routine and think about cleaning up, when to do laundry, what foods to have for dinner, food shopping and delivery, etc.”
Peter also said the most challenging parts of living in a residential setting included “sharing and booking carers in the house, providing barrier access to get food shopping to the door, not making adjustments to change at short notice and some outdated health and safety rules that were in place.”
On the positive side, Peter’s future has flourished thanks to the support of Treloar’s.
Peter said: “Treloar’s put me on a path where I went to university, when previously I wasn’t planning to, I have two degrees, and now undergoing a slow, steady media career, as well as a job training staff about disability at Treloar’s when required!”
Christopher Long attended Treloar’s for a period of four years between 1995 and 1999. Christopher opened up about the positive experiences he had attending the residential school and college:
“Treloar’s became my second home, and the staff and students became like Family, and the lifelong friendships I made there are still an integral part of my life. It was a wonderful place full of unforgettable people, staff and students who have taught me so much about life and given me a treasure trove of memories I will never forget. In short, I absolutely loved it.”
Of course, like with any education or care provision, Christopher admitted there were still some difficult parts, such as “being near other students led to the odd bit of friction, but as a new day dawned, it was soon forgotten and the friendships continued.”
Christopher also mentioned how Treloar’s helped him grow his hobbies and passions in life:
“Treloar’s has helped me in numerous ways, including helping me nurture my hobby of creative writing since my Treloar days. I have gone on to self-publish books on Amazon and continue to learn and grow as a writer.”
Listen to the lABLEd Podcast Disability and Institutionalisation spotlight series
Released today (21st Aug), listen to the podcast episode with former Treloar’s student Paige Tabone discussing her experiences of attending the residential setting.
Plus, head to lABLEd’s Substack page to have a read of the interview with Treloar’s Head of Admissions and Funding, Emma Simmonds, who shares insights into the evolving role of residential SEND schools, the unique opportunities they provide compared to day settings, and the challenges and considerations involved in running such a comprehensive provision. She also discusses the values Treloar’s looks for in staff and the impact of residential education on students’ social development.
The rest of the spotlight series includes a history lesson on disabled people in institutions, guest appearances with someone who uses respite services, somebody who works in mental health facilities and a lawyer with expertise in the legal procedures of accessing care support, and a review of the story One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
You can listen to the new Disability and Institutionalisation spotlight series and all previous episodes of the lABLEd Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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