The College was shortlisted in the Careers Programme in a Special School/College category.
Being shortlisted in the prestigious careers awards, recognises Derwen College’s efforts in supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) towards future employment. The College is delighted to be recognised for its innovative approach to careers development.
Derwen College is proud of its robust careers programme which includes innovative new Support Work apps. These apps are geared towards providing students with the information and skills they need to become work ready and more independent after college.
Working with app developers Starfish Labs UK, and part-funded by Marches LEP, the College has developed a CV Builder app. We believe is the first of its kind to be designed with a focus on people with SEND. The app allows users to populate a CV with minimal support, using words, Makaton symbols, videos or photographs. The app then allows students to independently send the CV to a potential employer. They can also attach video and photographic evidence of their employment skills.
Derwen College Careers teacher Siobhan Williams recently showcased the app to employers who were members of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce.Employers agreed that seeing students showcasing their skills was more useful than a written list of qualifications.
‘Very excited’ about CV Builder app
Heather Noble of Oswestry-based business and training coaching company Salt Solutions said:
“I’m very excited about the CV Builder app. Not only because it will allow people with special educational needs to compete in the workplace, but because it will enable employers to receive concise, relevant and appropriate information about a potential employee. Especially from an employee who might not ordinarily be able to convey their strengths.
“As a young person, finding things to put on a CV can be particularly challenging when experience is limited. This tool will help both employee and employer to share information simply. From my point of view, I particularly like the video element which allows employers to see the individual as a whole person not just as a few facts and figures. I don’t see any reason why, in time, this app couldn’t be rolled out to mainstream job seekers. It could help support an job seeker in putting their best foot forward.”
Winners of the awards will be announced in a virtual award ceremony on 10th March.
Looking ahead to Skills Live @Derwen 2021
Amy updates her CV using the Derwen-developed CV Builder app.
Derwen College Principal Meryl Green said:
“We are thrilled to have been shortlisted in the UK Career Development Awards. This is recognition for the continued work we do to support our students into employment.
“The Support Work apps are just part of our ongoing commitment to being innovative and forward-thinking in providing opportunities for students to achieve their goals.”
The College is pleased to have launched Skills Live @Derwen 2021. It runs from 1st-5th March to coincide with National Careers Week. Students aged 16-25 year olds with SEND from across the UK can compete to showcase work skills they have learnt at College. Schools can also take part in fun have-a-go sessions. So, if you are a college, school or business who would like to take part or fine out more, go to derwenskillslive.co.uk
Snow joke! Students journey 1,989 miles to Lapland (virtually)
Two Derwen College Charity champions are dusting off their walking boots and donning their Santa hats to launch a charity challenge from Gobowen to Lapland this December.
Tom Alexander and William Chapple, who are both students at Derwen College are urging fellow students, their families and supporters to take part in a brand new fundraising venture to travel the distance from Derwen to Lapland.
The college is launching the Derwen to Lapland Challenge, following in the footsteps of Father Christmas to cover 1,989 miles from 1st to 10th December.
They are asking as many people as possible to join in to walk, run, cycle, swim, or wheelchair as far as they can to support the challenge. Every mile completed and every penny raised counts.
Registration is free, and every participant receives a medal, designed and printed at Derwen College’s Karten print shop.
During the summer holidays, Tom and William became true ambassadors for the college charity when they walked hundreds of miles, raising thousands of pounds in the college’s virtual Land’s End to John O’Groats Challenge.
The more, the merrier!
Fundraiser Anna Evans said:
“During the summer, teams of six walked the length of Britain in our Derwen LEJOG Challenge. They raised an amazing total of £6,500. Tom and William, along with their families and supporters, were absolute super stars.”
“This time, our Derwen to Lapland Challenge will be slightly different, as we’ll all be working together to cover 1,989 miles in 10 days. It’s a long way, so we’re hoping to get as many participants as possible signed up. The more, the merrier!”
Derwen College is a specialist college for young adults with special educational needs and disabilities. Students learn work and independence skills which provide them with the tools for a more independent life after college.
All donations from this event will go towards the Agnes Hunt Village project to refurbish and renovate the Agnes Hunt Village bungalows which are used by students to learn and develop their independent living skills. Both Tom and William live in the Agnes Hunt Village whilst at Derwen College.
Registration is free. Contact Anna Evans on anna.evans@derwen.ac.uk or telephone 01691 661234 (ext 395).
New eBay shop for Derwen College
Vintage bargains, Christmas hampers and unique festive cards are all just a click away thanks to a new online shop run by students and staff at Derwen College.
The further education college which supports young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) into work, is keeping students busy by opening up an exciting new shop on auction site eBay.
Retail students Courtney and Libby sort items to sell at the college’s new eBay shop.
The College offers vocational training for 16 to 25-year-olds. However, during the second lockdown, it has again had to close its commercial areas where students learn work skills. As well as being temporarily unable to work in the College’s Garden Centre and Shop,retail students have been taken out of their usual off-site work placements. The College has responded to this challenge by moving commercial activity online.
The College has launched an eBay shop. It has also opened a Garden Centre and Shop collect and delivery service from the Gobowen site which includes Christmas cakes, seasonal plants, hampers and gifts. Telephone 01691 661234 ext 221 for orders.
“The eBay shop features beautiful clothing and accessories donated by our wonderful supporters. All items on the web have been hand-picked by students and are in excellent condition, many of the items are brand new.”
“The shop also sells Derwen College festive Christmas hampers and hand-made Christmas cards, designed and made by students.”
Retail pathway lead Sioned Davies said she was really pleased with the online eBay shop which was offering retail students at Derwen work experience and training during current lock-down measures. She said:
“Due to the Covid pandemic, students have been unable to access their usual off-site work placements. We have had to think of new ways of offering relevant work experience to our students in many different ways whilst keeping them safe.
The new eBay shop offers our retail students experience in sorting, displaying and marketing items to sell, as well as opportunities to learn about online sales and marketing. The work experience sessions require organisation, an ability to be flexible and focused, whilst dealing with customers and meeting their needs. Students are really excited to be part of this new venture.”
Derwen College has been involved in filming for exciting new apps which support Covid-safety awareness for people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The apps are being developed by Starfish Labs, and are part funded by the Welsh government.
Derwen College was happy to be involved in this new Covid apps project, with some of our Derwen College clients demonstrating tasks such as how to put on and remove a mask, keep living areas clean and wash hands effectively.
The partnership between Derwen College and Starfish Labs is one that the college is very proud of. The college has also developed a suite of award-winning apps with Starfish Labs which support people with SEND into work.
Starfish Labs director Neil Bevan
Starfish director Neil Bevan is also an industry champion for the college, offering his expertise in industry to staff and students.
Neil Bevan explained this latest partnership:
“Starfish Labs are developing a suite of apps to help people with learning difficulties and disabilities to understand the ongoing changes in society due to Covid-19, the importance of hands, face, space messages, and appropriate face coverings and how to wear them. The apps are being part funded by Welsh Government and will be fully bilingual in Welsh and English – also using Makaton symbols to aid understanding.
“Starfish partnered with Derwen College and Knew Productions to develop video sequences for the apps. The filming went really well and the Derwen College clients all seemed to be enjoying the experience – both in front of the camera, and in watching what was going on behind the scenes. Some are obviously natural actors!
Paul was filmed demonstrating the importance of keeping your home clean.
“The unique feature of the apps is that carers, parents or teachers can upload their own content to support the pre-loaded video and cartoon guides, so that the user’s own type of mask, hand washing routine, social distancing support etc., can be shown in their own environment.
This is particularly important for many users with learning difficulties who just don’t connect with generic scenarios that don’t show their own home or local environment, or their own type of face covering or wash basin.
Developing our relationship
“Having worked with Derwen College on a number of previous projects, Starfish Labs are delighted to be developing our relationship with the college further, in both the creation of the content for the apps and in user-testing with students and clients.
By working with Derwen educationalists in the SEND sector to find out what’s really needed, we can create products that fulfil that need rather than a generic ‘one size fits all’ solution. This becomes even more effective for users and their families as they can use the pre-loaded guidance in the apps, based on government public health messages, simplified for ease of understanding by Derwen’s experts in the field, to create their own content that’s appropriate for their family member or student’s level of understanding.
“Starfish Labs are grateful to the Welsh Government for their support in part funding this ground breaking project, and the apps will be shortly be available for a small charge to support ongoing development, and similar products, on the App Store and Google Play”.
Derwen College – adapting to support industry
Derwen College has a mission to educate, inspire and empower students to lead the lives they choose.
It is vital that we work with industry, and monitor outcomes for our students, to ensure that they are finding meaningful employment after leaving college.
In Derwen’s last full Ofsted report (2016) the college was praised for its willingness to be flexible and remain current. It said:
“Leaders and managers carefully monitor the progression of students and use this information well to improve and inform changes to curriculum design. For example, leaders identified that proportionally fewer students progressed from college into office work and catering than into retail and hospitality.
Managers have made significant changes to vocational programmes which enable students to develop the relevant skills required for all sectors, increasing their opportunities to progress to employment when leaving college.”
At Derwen, we carefully monitor the progression and outcomes of our students and use this information to continually improve and inform changes to our curriculum.
We look at what work placement and employment opportunities are out there and available to our students to maximise the chances of employment and/or voluntary work for our leavers. We also work with ‘industry champion’ partners who ensure we are always working at industry standards.
Over the years, we have adapted our vocational pathways to enable students to develop relevant work skills. We monitor destination data to check we are growing and supporting individual sectors and industries.
Above all, though, the most satisfying measure of our success is when we hear from former students who proudly tell us they have gone on to find work or further training opportunities after leaving us.
Read about what what some of our current and former students have achieved here.
Gold standard for Derwen College
Derwen College has been awarded a top Gold standard award in recognition of its work experience opportunities and work programmes for students.
The specialist further education college, near Oswestry, has received a Gold certificate and trophy from Fair Train – an organisation which champions high quality work-based learning throughout the UK.
Students Tom and Courtney with Work Experience Co-ordinator Abi Baker.
Derwen College, in Gobowen, provides vocational learning and work experience for 16-25 year olds students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The College has developed strong external business opportunities with national and local businesses.
The college also offers internal work experience on site in commercial areas which are open to the public including the Karten Print Shop, Garden Centre and Shop, and Garden Café.
The college houses a Premier Inn training facility where students learn the skills needed to work in a Premier Inn hotel. This experience then leads to work experience at Premier Inn hotels in the area. This has gone on to become paid work at Premier Inn for 20 former Derwen College students.
Derwen College’s Work Experience and Transition Team are pleased to have received the nationally respected Work Experience Quality Standard at the highest Gold level.
Derwen College has achieved Fair Train’s Gold Standard.
Abi Baker, Work Experience Co-ordinator, said she was delighted that the hard work of staff and students at Derwen College had been recognised at the highest possible level.
“We are really pleased to have received the Fair Train gold quality standard award which shows we are following Fair Train’s high standards of practice at the top Gold level. Fair Train’s Work Experience Quality Standard is a widely and highly respected accreditation. We have worked closely with Fair Train to ensure we maintain the highest possible standards.”
Fair Train was created in 2009 by a group of people from the voluntary and community sector to address the lack of availability and uptake of apprenticeships in the sector. More than 400 organisations – employers, learning/training providers and facilitators – have now achieved Fair Train’s Work Experience Quality Standard. Sadly, this is Fair Train’s final year of operation, due to the impact of Covid-19 on the sector.
Derwen College continues to work with businesses to provide quality work experience opportunities for students working in Hospitality & Housekeeping, Retail, Performing Arts and Horticulture.
New Derwen site opens at Telford
Derwen College welcomes the first students to its new satellite provision in Telford this term, in a partnership with Telford & Wrekin Council.
The leading specialist further education college, which has its main campus near Oswestry, has opened a new Telford site to support young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Derwen College has opened the campus for day students at Stafford Park industrial estate, Telford. The launch comes in response to a need for more options in expert vocational training and independence skills learning for young people with SEND in the local authority.
Derwen College, which is has an Ofsted rating of Outstanding, has converted the former business premises into a new site. From here, a team of expert staff will offer day students with SEND the specialist learning and work placement provision that they would expect from a college with an outstanding reputation.
Zoe Wood, Head of Curriculum, said:
“We are over the moon to welcome our first day students to the new Telford site this month.
“We have worked with the local authority, the families and young people who will be joining us in September to make the transition a positive experience.
“Our work in providing successful smaller satellite provision at Craven Arms and Baschurch has proved what young adults with SEND can achieve given the right teaching, work experience and independence learning. We look forward to getting to know our new Derwen students over the coming months and supporting them towards achieving their aspirations.”
Councillor Shirley Reynolds, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Children, Young People, Education and Lifelong Learning, said:
“We have worked with Derwen College to launch this new satellite which will support young people with SEND in developing work and independence skills and work placements which will prepare them for employment and a more independent future.
“Along with the college, we have identified a suitable location, and alongside families been able to select students who we think would benefit most from the experience.
“Our SEND team share Derwen College’s mission to educate, inspire and empower young adults to lead the lives they choose.”
Derwen@Telford Satellite Lead Lucy Harrison welcomes new students.
Newly appointed Derwen@Telford Satelllite Lead Lucy Harrison has been liaising with the students who will be starting at the Telford site this month, and is eager for the new term to begin. She said:
“It has already been an amazing journey! I’ve been working closely with Derwen’s head of curriculum Zoe Wood, and we have 11 students ready to go. I have been keeping in contact with them and their families whilst we were getting ready at Telford.
“What we are offering in Telford is not only outstanding, it’s also unique to Telford. This is going to be an amazing opportunity for the area. Within the first year, we will be building on students’ business support skills and preparing them for the world of work.”
Derwen College offers vocational pathways and independence skills for 16-25 year olds with SEND. The college has a main site for residential and day students in Gobowen, and satellite sites for day students at Baschurch, near Shrewsbury, and Craven Arms.
Pool makes a splash in building awards
Derwen College has been shortlisted for a prestigious building award for its innovative new hydrotherapy centre.
The Shropshire specialist further education college’s Bradbury Hydrotherapy Pool has been named as a finalist in the West Midlands LABC Building Excellence Awards 2020.
The pool and therapy building opened in September 2019. It has been shortlisted for Best Public Service or Educational Building award. The winners will be announced on Thursday, 10th September 2020.
The hydrotherapy pool building was designed by Gareth Edwards of local architectural practice DPA Design in collaboration with the college’s therapies team. It was constructed by builders Jones Brothers.
“We were delighted to be shortlisted in the LABS Building Excellence Awards for the Bradbury Hydrotherapy Pool. The state-of-the-art pool was opened in September 2019. It was built to support students in their physiotherapy and sensory needs.
To create a building that was innovative in design and build, whilst focused on students’ and therapists’ needs, involved outstanding partnerships between architects, builders and therapists. We are very proud to be recognised for such a prestigious award.”
Thank you to supporters
College Principal Meryl Green said:
“These awards recognise high-quality design and build. To be shortlisted is testament to the work carried out by a dedicated team who went to great lengths to understand the needs of college and students.
Awards events co-ordinator Jodie Nash said that organisers were determined to recognise the finalists virtually.
She said: “Competition has been stronger than ever this year and being shortlisted is a great accomplishment. Our judges have seen a number of fantastic projects and we believe it’s still important to celebrate the projects completed throughout our regions. Therefore we’ve made the decision to celebrate our award winners digitally for 2020.”
The winners’ presentations take place on Thursday, 10th September 2020.
Three brothers at Number 12
Derwen College launches the Agnes Hunt Village appeal on 7th November.
The request for stories from people who have lived in the life-changing bungalows over the decades has uncovered many fascinating stories.
On 7th November, former residents, businesses and community are invited to find out more about the Agnes Hunt Village, in Gobowen – its history, its present and its future.
Through a £1 million pound Derwen College Charity appeal, the bungalows will be updated to create an ideal stepping stone for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to gain independent living skills. With the hope that they will move on to future employment and supported living.
The village of 28 bungalows was the vision of Dames Agnes Hunt who founded Derwen College. Building of the village did not start until 1952, four years after her death in 1948 – it was to be her final legacy.
Guests at the launch on Thursday will include people with fond memories of living and growing up in the Dame Agnes Hunt Village, including Bob Hardy. Bob, who now lives in Pant, grew up in Bungalow Number 12 with his mother and father Eunice and Jack Hardy and brothers David and Andrew.
“We lived at Number 12,” remembers Bob. “My dad came to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital for treatment after being invalided out of RAF. Eventually we moved into the bungalows and he worked at the hospital in Splints and Appliances. My mum nursed at both the Derwen and the hospital.”
Bob’s parents remained living in the bungalows until his dad passed away in 1974 . His mum Eunice moved to Oswestry soon after. Eunice died in 2011 at the age of 84.
Bob and his brothers all still live locally and have fond recollections of their childhood. He says:
“I have happy memories of growing up in the Agnes Hunt Village. There were a lot of families with children mainly with parents working at the Derwen or the Orthopaedic Hospital,”
“There were many people who suffered debilitating conditions or disability. We all played together and helped each other out. We played football and cricket on the lawn in the middle of the cul-de-sac. There was only one tree there at the time so it was perfect for sports. I remember a gardener called Ivor who would cut the grass perfectly for cricket.
“We knew everybody and used to play and cycle around the Derwen and follow the path through the field to fish in the brook. We used to get wheels from the old wheelchairs to make our go-karts.”
The family remains connected with the RJAH Hospital and Derwen.
Bob is particularly proud that his wife Glenna, a Specialist Nurse Practitioner for Arthroplasty at the hospital, was the first to receive the Dame Agnes Hunt Nursing Medal. She was presented with the inaugural Dame Agnes Hunt Nursing Medal by HRH Princess Alexandra during an official Royal visit in 2017.
Bob’s brothers, children and nephews continue the tradition with many family members still working at the Orthopaedic Hospital as nurses, pharmacist and admin, says Bob.
“All three of us have been closely linked to Derwen and the Orthopedic Hospital, and it’s lovely to see that link with Agnes Hunt carry on to the next generation.”
For more information regarding the Agnes Hunt Village Project and the launch on Thursday, 7th November visit www.agneshuntappeal.co.uk email fundraiser Anna Evans on anna.evans@derwen.ac.uk or telephone 01691 661234.
Being shortlisted in the prestigious careers awards, recognises Derwen College’s efforts in supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) towards future employment. The College is delighted to be recognised for its innovative approach to careers development. 
The college is launching the Derwen to Lapland Challenge, following in the footsteps of Father Christmas to cover 1,989 miles from 1st to 10th December.
Fundraiser Anna Evans said:
Derwen College is a specialist college for young adults with special educational needs and disabilities. Students learn work and independence skills which provide them with the tools for a more independent life after college.
At Derwen, we carefully monitor the progression and outcomes of our students and use this information to continually improve and inform changes to our curriculum.
Derwen College has opened the campus for day students at Stafford Park industrial estate, Telford. The launch comes in response to a need for more options in expert vocational training and independence skills learning for young people with SEND in the local authority.
“We were delighted to be shortlisted in the LABS Building Excellence Awards for the Bradbury Hydrotherapy Pool. The state-of-the-art pool was opened in September 2019. It was built to support students in their physiotherapy and sensory needs.
“These awards recognise high-quality design and build. To be shortlisted is testament to the work carried out by a dedicated team who went to great lengths to understand the needs of college and students.
