It’s been a busy and, at times, tumultuous autumn term. For Natspec, we had a term full of training and events, inviting colleges to get together in person at our Curriculum review event in October, and at our Principals forum in December. Meanwhile, attendees from across the country came together in Birmingham for 2022’s TechAbility Conference – more on that below!
Autumn also saw the appointment of the fifth education secretary of 2022, and further delays to the government response to the SEND Review.
For colleges, life continued despite the chaos happening elsewhere. In this edition of the highlights, we bring you stories about the progress learners have made on supported internships, how one learner has won a national award, and a learner’s campaign to update the Blue Badge logo.
Table of contents
Inspirational Derwen student wins national award
A remarkable student who has inspired and led her peers and spoken out for people with disabilities, has been named as Adult Student of the Year in the Association of Colleges‘ Student of the Year Awards.
Amy Jude, from Hereford, was crowned Adult Student of the Year, after being nominated by Derwen College staff for her commitment, passion and sense of justice. During her time at the college, Amy became an impressive ambassador for people with learning difficulties and disabilities, for women and for all minorities.
Amy graduated from the specialist further education college in Shropshire, earlier this year, after a truly memorable three years as a Performing Arts student.
She is a bold and impressive young woman who has Optic Nerve Hypoplasia – resulting in multiple hormone deficiencies and a visual impairment, autism, hypersensitivity, learning difficulties and ARFID (food intake disorder). She is a force to be reckoned with.
During her time at College, she represented fellow students as President of the Student Union for two years’ running. She was never afraid to raise issues with the senior leadership team and governors.
She also represented Derwen College at Natspec Student Parliament. She was part of the national gathering of student representatives from specialist colleges who come together to discuss and collaborate on issues that are important to them.
She was an ambassador for Derwen College at the 2022 Natspec Conference. Amy delivered the opening speech on the final day, speaking eloquently and with passion about what further education had meant for her.
These achievements are on top of Amy’s studies and work experience as a Performing Arts student. She is a talented actress, who has embraced lead roles in the College’s Christmas and Summer Shows, taken part in community performances and competitions, written and delivered moving monologues about inclusion, and inspired dancers of all ages while working at a local dance school.
Not to mention making time to achieve a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Amy has risen to every challenge, never allowing disability to become a barrier to her ambitions.
When she heard she had won Student of the Year, Amy said: “I was a little bit shocked at first, but then very happy. Not only have I made myself and Derwen College proud, my family are all happy too. They’ve been telling everybody. I loved being at Derwen and finding my voice!”
Amy’s mum Kirsten said how proud she was of her, and how wonderful it was to see her grow up to be the strong, independent woman she is today.
She said: “Specialist education was the making of AJ. She flourished at Barrs Court School, in Hereford. She left there as a different person, gaining confidence through school and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
“Then at Derwen we saw her confidence soar. She has achieved so much, including her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and now Adult Student of the Year. We are very proud that she’s developed from that quiet and shy little girl to a young woman who can deliver a rousing speech or star performance.”
Amy is looking forward to a future role in a television pilot, made by Shropshire’s Rocking Horse Media. She will also be able to celebrate her Adult Student of the Year title again in the spring, when she will be invited to an awards celebration in London to receive her award.
Corrienne Peasgood, President of the Association of Colleges, said:
“Congratulations to Amy, who has won the AoC Adult Student of the Year award. The annual Association of Colleges’ Student of the Year awards celebrate students who stand out from the crowd, have gone above and beyond, whether in college or their local community.
“Each year the level of applications is extremely high, and it goes to show the fantastic work that students are doing in colleges as well as the lengths colleges go to support their students. Well done Amy on winning you should be extremely proud.”
College staff share practice at TechAbility Conference 2022
At the 2022 TechAbility Conference, members of staff from Treloar College, Portland College and the Oaks Specialist College shared their practice with over a hundred delegates.
From Treloar’s, Jodie Tatlow, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Jenny Duddy, Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist and Dean Hall, Assistive Technologist, delivered a presentation called Interactive iPad activities – a multidisciplinary approach.
Jodie said:
TechAbility Conference is a good place for sharing knowledge and for learning from others. At the conference, we spoke about our ongoing project of using iPads with our students. Treloar’s College has increased the active and independent use of iPads by learners on the Sensory and Interactive curriculum. A project group consisting of Assistive Technologists, Occupational Therapists and a Speech and Language Therapist was formed to look at meaningful activities and how students could access these, especially for those who use access switches (switches that allow their users to activate assistive technology devices in their environment). Dean, Jenny and I attended the conference as representatives of that multidisciplinary team.
Many Treloar’s students use switches to access the computer but not all are able to access iPads. The multidisciplinary project team has spent a great deal of time exploring this further, trying to improve the functionality of iPads for our students in a way that meets their therapeutic goals and is motivating and achievable. The project team has weekly meetings with the Assistive Technology Team to review how iPads are being used. It’s not easy for Treloar’s students to use a switch with an iPad. The team has been trying to come up with solutions for students to be able to learn to use switches to, for example, access various educational apps, look through family photos, watch YouTube, play Clarion, choose and listen to audiobooks, take photos or play games. It often means that every switch required bespoke programming as the way students use switches depends on their personal needs. Consequently, the Assistive Technology Team has been working on bespoke solutions, unique to each of our students’ needs.
Initially, the project was based on students in interactive and sensory classes, but with time, it has expanded to primary classes and is still ongoing. The team has been exploring different apps, trying to create a database of apps matched with a switch software recipe. Moreover, the Team has been trying to link it all to their therapy targets, making the tasks for students more motivating for students. Developing the use of a switch would mean that more interactive-sensory students could contribute to their annual reviews by, for example, indicating which photos they prefer.
During the conference, Jodie, Jenny and Dean demonstrated using Switch Recipes as a way of unlocking many apps and web programmes for learners who can’t use direct access. A training and support programme has been established so that the activities can be implemented by teaching and learning support staff.
Portland College shared how they implemented their SmartHome solution, which enables learners to experience and experiment with many different technologies to control their environment. Rebecca and Trevor discussed how important it was that a range of technologies were used including so that learners were able to make choices about which worked best for them. The control technologies included Alexa, Google and Bixby which were used to access lighting, robot vacuum cleaners and even a washing machine and a fridge. Rebecca is Curriculum Manager and Trevor the IT Manager, but they emphasised how important a multi-disciplinary approach was to the success of this project. Input from IT services, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Education, Care, Estates and Finance were all necessary to ensure that learners have the opportunity to meet their independence, communication and wellbeing outcomes.
Libby Wilkins from The Oaks carried turned up at the conference with a heavy bag full of 20 mobile phones! She used these to deliver a highly interactive session, making sure delegates had a chance to get hands-on with settings and apps on the phones. Libby demonstrated how learners at The Oaks use in-built accessibility features on mobile phones to enable assistive technology for living. She also described how learners are empowered to take responsibility for their interactions within the world and emphasised the importance of learners retaining access to any tech when they have left college. The Speech and Language Therapy service at The Oaks have been making extensive use of the Flipgrid app to give learners autonomy over their progress and Libby showed some practical examples of learners using the app and described the positive impact.
Fil McIntyre, the TechAbility Manager said: “It was excellent to showcase the innovative work being done in Assistive Technology by Natspec colleges at the TechAbility22 conference. The conference is made by people eager to share their practices and knowledge. Presentations by Natspec colleges illustrated the profound impact technology can have on the lives of disabled individuals, not just in the educational setting but in various other aspects of life. I look forward to hearing about more innovative and engaging practice at the upcoming TechAbility conference in November 2023.”
Former Queen Alexandra College student achieves First Class Honours
Former QAC student Hannah successfully graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a First Class Honours Degree.
On completion of her BTEC Level 3 qualification in Health and Social Care at QAC, Hannah went on to study a BSc (Hons) in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion at the University of Wolverhampton.
The personalised support Hannah received while at College, including travel training sessions enabled her to develop her skills and travel independently to and from University. Hannah embraced all aspects of University life, enjoyed her lectures and worked really hard to achieve her goals!
Hannah commented: “My time at QAC really helped to prepare me for University as it gave me the confidence and independence I needed to get to where I am today.”
Campaign to revise the UK Blue Badge taken to the Student Voice Parliament
At Natspec’s last Student Voice Parliament National Star College learner Sam Vestey spoke about his campaign to change the UK disabled badge.
In recognition that not all disabilities can be seen, Sam believes the current logo on the badge which signifies wheelchair users should be changed to be more inclusive of people who have non-visible disabilities.
Sam shared an example of a design currently being considered in Australia:
In 2019 in the UK, the law changed to allow disabled people who don’t use a wheelchair to have a Blue Badge but despite this development the logo has remained the same. Sam strongly feels that change is overdue and he has invited members of the Parliament and colleges to:
- let him know their ideas for a new design by sending their ideas to Andrew.evans@natspec.org.uk by 3 February 2023
- write to their members of parliament and the UK Government Department of Transport to tell them they think the logo should be updated
- sign his petition on change.org Petition · Change the Disabled badge to included non-visible disabilities! · Change.org
Members of the Parliament all agreed that Sam’s campaign was an important one. Some members thought it would be a good idea to write to local members of parliament to raise the issue. Others thought that bringing the issue to the attention of the Prince and Princess of Wales could help, as could raising the issue on social media, including TikTok and other platforms.
You can watch Sam talking about his campaign on YouTube.
One student’s view on supported internships
Phoebe, a former student at Treloar’s, spoke about her experiences on Treloar’s supported internship programme, at Treloar’s Supporter Day in October.
Phoebe did her supported internship from September 2019 – March 2020.
I found Supported Internship really valuable: it really helped me experience the world of work, it introduced me to employers that without the internship I would not have had access to. As an intern, I was expected to attend various classes including basic English and Maths and also employability classes where we discussed work-based situations. We got tasked with making a CV and some mock interviews.
Treloar’s internship also assisted me with my interviews for my placement. They also helped me to organise getting ‘access to work’ to help with travelling and funding for a personal assistant. The personal assistant helped me with any physical tasks that I needed help with during my working day.
My first placement, where I had a brilliant time, was working for Challengers Preschool. I gained a lot of skills and became more independent. As my confidence improved, I increased my hours from three days a week to four days a week. Challengers nearly offered me a job at the end of the internship, but then COVID struck and they couldn’t offer it to me after all.
Treloar’s internship allowed me to experience working in the community. It also gave me a massive confidence boost in developing my social and independent skills.
As the internship finished so early for me due to COVID, it then inspired me to find the next step in my own future to develop the skills that I had learnt during the internship. So I joined HCC Internship and for my placement I did admin support. Alongside the placement, I also gained functional skills maths L1 and 2, employability etc.
At the end of the course, HCC offered me a paid job role which I had to really consider because all my life is up here in Hampshire such as my friends and social life, but at the same time, I got offered an Apprentice Business Admin position in Exeter working for the NHS.
If you’re interested in learning more about supported internships, you could also read our guest blog by Julie Pointer about the new government investment in supported internships, and also read about more colleges’ experiences with offering supported internships in FE Week.
Supported internship successes at Homefield
Supported Interns at Homefield College have been making fantastic progress with their internships. In just a few months, they have all grown in confidence and developed their employability skills. It is great to see them come into their own enjoying the work they are doing. Here, Homefield College reflects on the progress four students have made this academic year to date.
Ayesha & Alex are based at Imago Venues, which comprises of a conference & events venue and hotel that offers high-quality accommodation and leisure facilities. Ayesha assists the housekeeping and cleaning teams, working very well with Imago team members Caroline, Tracey and Joy. She helps maintain the hotel and common areas by sweeping the floors, hoovering and picking up litter. In addition, she helps prepare the rooms for the guests, refills the tea & coffee stations and does the laundry. As Ayesha has a Saturday job in her area keeping things tidy for local sports events, this SI complements her skills and helps her use transferable skills to progress.
Alex supports the conferences & events team at Imago. He is a hard worker that is not afraid to get involved when the atmosphere gets busy and has stepped up his responsibilities when needed due to staff sickness, which shows great use of initiative as he is able to do these tasks without being asked. All these skills and lessons learned on his placement have opened his eyes to one career sector available for him to potentially explore in the future.
AJ has been putting her love for animals to good use at local dog groomer Posh Dogs. She has been thoroughly enjoying grooming, washing, clipping and pampering the different breeds of dogs that come there. She tidies work areas as she goes along, showing great intuition as she needs no prompting to complete these jobs. AJ is confident, exuberant and not afraid to ask questions when she is not sure of how to do something or what is expected of her on a particular task. Putting her skills to good use now has enabled her to get a good insight into what working with dogs as a paying job would look like, as she really wants to work with animals in future.
Jim works at The Great Central Railway Café, which suits him perfectly as he gets to transfer his catering ability from working at Breward’s (one of our student-led enterprises) whilst combining his passion for trains! He works primarily in the kitchen preparing salads and paninis ready for customers’ lunch orders. This includes vegetable chopping, panini making and work surface cleaning. He is enjoying working with the kitchen team to produce tasty meals for customers.
Lifeworks visitors learn about what a specialist college can offer
BBC Radio Devon visited Lifeworks to interview students and staff, highlighting some of the work that is Children in Need funded in Devon. As a result of the support from Children in Need Lifeworks have been able to run weekend Youth Groups across Torbay, South Devon and the South Hams. The Youth Group gives enriching weekend activities for young people with learning disabilities—building community, belonging and independence whilst having fun and getting active.
Some students also have opportunities to volunteer within the Youth Groups, so it’s also an opportunity to build those skills.
You can listen to the programme here.
In October, Lifeworks was also visited by their local MP, Anthony Mangnall. The students at Lifeworks Special Further Education College had the chance to showcase their current artwork projects, including pottery, large canvas paintings and Lego models, all of which have all been created in their new updated art room facilities in preparation for an up and coming exhibition.
Anthony Mangnall said; “It was a pleasure to visit Lifeworks and witness the excellent work they are doing for young people with learning disabilities and their families. Meeting Karen and the rest of the team gave me the opportunity to learn more about the support they offer, as well as to engage with some of the young people they are helping. I look forward to seeing the charity continue to grow and expand their life changing work.”
During the visit, Anthony also meet with many of the staff to understand more about the work and vision of the Charity. Head of College, Karen Dorow said; “It was great for the students to show off their work and they were all really excited to meet Anthony. It was also a really important opportunity to share with Anthony our vision and strategy for the charity. Lifeworks College will be an exemplar of SEND Further Education provision in the region. We will be offering a broad curriculum of excellent quality, giving opportunities to young people and adults to meaningfully develop their skills, confidence and employability skills. We will be offering life-changing internship opportunities with local employers; setting our people on the first rungs of a lifetime of meaningful occupation and enabling them to move from dependence to independence and contribute to society.”
