The Faison School and Peninsula School
Schools At A Glance
The Faison Center’s schools provide educational services on our Richmond and Newport News Campuses to individuals with autism and related challenges up to the age of 22.
The Faison School and Peninsula School provide core education services to students with autism and related challenges. Each school has multiple sub-programs to allow students to be placed according to ability and education goals.
About Our School Programs
The Faison and Peninsula Schools
The Faison and Peninsula School serve students with autism and related challenges between the ages of 5 to 22 years and is composed of 6 different programs. A large number of our students are 5-16 years of age whose complex neurological and behavioral challenges are too severe for public school. The students are broken up by age into three programs: Lower School (5-11 years old), Middle School (11-14 years old), Upper School (14-22 years old). For students who are 16-22 years old and focusing more on functional skills and community access, we have Life Skills and Employment Academy. Along with these children, we have two independent learner programs with students at any age who are more independent and studying at grade level. Because of the quality of available services, the need for The Faison Center’s educational services through the Faison and Peninsula Schools continues to increase. In addition, early diagnosis of autism is driving extensive demand for our early education and preschool programs. As with all educational services provided by The Faison Center, the Lower, Middle, and Upper School, and other school programs, are accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities (VAISEF) and are licensed by the Virginia Department of Education.
School Calendars
Click on each tile below to download the respective school calendars.
School Program Highlights
- Lower School: 5-11 year old students who are below grade level focusing on foundational skills including communication, basic academic skills and self-help skills.
- Middle School: 11-14 year old students who are below grade level focusing on foundational skills including communication, basic academic skills and self-help skills.
- Upper School: 14-22 year old students who are below grade level focusing on foundational skills including communication, basic academic skills and self-help skills.
- Life Skills:16-22 year old students who are working on community access, independent living skills, and prevocational skills.
- Employment Academy: 15-22 year old students that are working on vocational skills at school and in the community.
- Emergent Independent Learner Community (EIL): 5-22 year old students who are at or near grade level focusing on core academics.
- Accelerated Independent Learner Community (AILC) 5-22 year old students who are at or near grade level focusing on core academics in a less restrictive setting more comparable to a general education environment.
The Faison & Peninsula School FAQ
The schools serve ages 5-22. For information on services for pre-school aged students, please visit our Early Education Center page.
Although the majority of the individuals served by Faison have been diagnosed with autism or associated disorders, we make individualized enrollment decisions. Our main focus is not the specific developmental disability but whether or not we can meet the individual’s specific needs.
The enrollment process begins with a completed application sent to the school.
We would love to have you as a guest on our campuses. To begin the process, please call our Admissions Office at 804-612-1949 or email admissions@faisoncenter.org to make sure Faison is right for you, and our staff will schedule a tour as part of the process.
We require a complete application, most recent IEP, most recent special education eligibility meeting minutes, and state school health entrance form (with physical exam and immunization record) for students seeking enrollment in the school. Additional documentation that may be required is listed on the application. Admissions staff will guide you through this paperwork during the enrollment process.
With two campuses, Faison serves more than 30 localities in Central Virginia and Hampton Roads. There are no exclusions based on geography.
Students enrolling in the Faison School or Peninsula School will most often do so as part of their Individual Education Program (IEP) recommendation from their home district. This referral is also needed to access funding and transportation from their home district. Faison staff can provide guidance on this process.
Many programs do have a waiting list, but it varies by program and point in time.
Funding for our school programs is typically covered by the student’s home school district. Parents may also opt to pay tuition.
Faison does not offer scholarships at this time.
School Addresses
The Faison School
5311 Markel Road,
Richmond, VA 23230
Phone: (804) 612-1947
Fax: (804) 612-1955
Peninsula School at the Faison Center
803 Diligence Drive,
Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: (757) 223-0558
Fax: (757) 223-0559
School Admissions
For further information about admissions to Faison’s School Programs, call our admissions staff at (804) 612-1949 or email them at admissions@faisoncenter.org. You can also click below to learn more about our admissions process.