The work at Beaumont - much like that in other specialist colleges - often involves more support staff than lecturers.
In some cases, simple tasks such as eating can have fatal consequences if not supervised.
When FE Focus visited Beaumont, the labour-intensive nature of its work was stark. Sue Beresford was taking a class of seven students.
Simply getting through the lesson involved the support of seven staff, including a physiotherapist and support staff working one-to-one with some of the more severely disabled students to keep them focused on the activities.
The lesson was fine art. The students were asked to analyse some of the pictures they had painted that were inspired by the garden outside the college.
The students sit in a line, their work displayed on the wall in front of them.
Patiently, their lecturer works on them, trying to coax some comments.
Finally, with help from a lecturer, one student, Craig Richardson, is able to express his feeling about his work.
His message is pinned on the wall. It says: “When you see the picture, it should make you happy. The garden is for sharing. The garden is your friend.”
