Moving away from home is a big step up for any young adult and their family. For students with autism and/or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the idea of a residential placement can be daunting.
For staff at specialist further education college Derwen College, in Shropshire, seeing a student flourish in skills and confidence, reach their goals, and grow into a self-assured adult, is a testament to the positive impact of a 24/7 learning environment.
Like a university experience
Many families compare the campus-style layout and feel of Derwen College, in Gobowen, to a university experience. Students with older brothers or sisters who have already left home take pride in following their siblings’ lead and flying the nest.
Mark, who is 22 years old, and from Powys, was a Retail student who graduated this year after two years as a student, and an additional year on the College’s Springboard programme.
Mark, with the bird table and dovecote he designed and made
Springboard is a flexible programme, funded through social care, aimed to give students extra support where needed.
Instead of formal learning, the young person has access to work-experience opportunities and is supported to improve their independence skills.
Temporary home in a College village
For Mark, this involved living in one of the College’s village of bungalows with friends. Here, he took part in timetabled Independent Living Skills sessions to enable him to move into supporting living after college.
He also enjoyed many weekly work placements: internal placements at the College’s own on-site garden centre shop and charity shop; and external placements in Spar, Nightingales charity shop and Coed-y-Dinas garden centre, in Welshpool.
Mark impressed the team at Coed-y-Dinas so much that they offered him a paid job after College.
He is working in the store using his craft and retail skills to build and sell garden furniture and garden machinery in his first paid job.
Travel training
While at College, he prepared for the next step in this career journey by practising his travel training and learning to travel independently to work by taxi.
Mark was a dedicated and hard-working student. At graduation, he was awarded the Retail and Enterprise Cup and Overall Outstanding Student of 2023.
He visited the College recently to deliver a hand-made gift – a wood-crafted Christmas reindeer.
Mark’s hand-crafted reindeer, a gift for the College
Mark is a talented craftsperson who has previously sold his wares in aid of Derwen Charity at the Derwen Christmas Fayre.
As well as having woodworking skills, he’s also a skilled knitter and has sold hand-made gifts, ornaments and hand-knitted scarves.
Hand-crafted presents for staff and students
During his last week at College, he presented staff and students with a hand-crafted bird table and dovecote he designed and made.
The bird table is housed in the College’s Woodland Walk, where students, staff and visitors can enjoy it.
The dovecote has been fixed to the bungalow where Mark lived, the home where he learnt daily living skills – such as cooking, cleaning, shopping and money handling – which will help him to be as independent as possible after College.
Mark said: “I wanted to give everyone at College a gift to remember me by. I’m excited to have a job at Coed-y-Dinas and to be travelling there on my own. I’m hoping to move into supported living in the future to be more independent, but I want to settle into my job first.”
Derwen College Lead practitioner Emma Millington, who supports students who live in the College bungalows, said: “We are very grateful for Mark’s thoughtful gifts, which are lovely mementoes for us all to enjoy and remember him by.
“We are all incredibly proud of what he’s achieved during his time with us at Derwen, and look forward to hearing more about his new job and life after College. Well done, Mark!”
Find out more about how Derwen College supports students with SEND to lead the lives they choose at www.derwen.ac.uk
More about Derwen College:
- Derwen College, in Gobowen, Shropshire, is a specialist college for young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The college offers students the opportunity to learn new skills in real work environments and to learn life skills which will enable them to live as independently as possible.
- In 2022/23, Derwen College won awards, including:
- Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity.
- Natspec Award 2022 – Pathways into Employment
- Aico Awards 2022 – College Initiative of the Year (for the Vintage Advantage launch)
- SEND Awards 2022 – Inclusion in Higher and Further Education
- SEND Awards 2022 – Support into Employment
- Charity Retail Awards Innovation Award for The Vintage Advantage charity shop
- Skills Competitions Advocate Award in the World Skills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards 2023
- Natspec Award 2023 for Partnership Working
- NASEN Award 2023 – FE Provision of the Year
- The College has its main site in Gobowen, near Oswestry, and has satellite sites: Derwen College Telford; and Derwen College Walford, near Shrewsbury.
- For more information visit derwen.ac.uk.
