We were delighted to welcome Skills Minister The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Jacqui Smith, to NCW as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the vital role special schools play in helping young people with disabilities to achieve their potential. 

During the two hour visit the Minister had the opportunity to experience first hand how our school, where we exclusively cater to children and young people aged 11 to 19 who are blind or vision impaired, prepare students for later life. Baroness Smith and NCW Patron Lord Faulkner of Worcester dropped into a variety of lessons, including mobility, independent living skills and music before joining a Q&A session where students and former students discussed their experiences of attending NCW, the skills they have learned and their hopes and ambitions for the future. 

Asal, Head Student, who is currently in Year 13 said, “My time in mainstream education was really tough. My vision has slowly been deteriorating, and it was the hardest decision for my mum to send me away to this school. The person I am today is nothing like who I was when I first came to NCW. I arrived shy, but now I am confident and know how to advocate for myself. This is all down to NCW—they have helped me grow in so many ways.”

Molly, Year 10 student said, “It felt nice to talk about New College Worcester and express how much of an amazing place it has been to support all of us…. it just feels absolutely amazing to have all that support that I have needed since I have lost my vision.  

The Minister also experienced how at NCW we work with employers such as Dolphin Computer Access, an accessible software company, to provide high quality work experience placements and enhance employability. Nine in ten students at NCW go on to further education, university or employment when they leave the school. This far exceeds the national picture in which only one in four blind and partially sighted people of working age are in employment (RNIB).

Commenting on her visit, Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

“It was really inspiring to visit New College Worcester and hear from such lively and engaging students with special needs and visual impairments about their experiences and their ambitions for the future. Breaking down barriers to opportunity for people, regardless of the challenges they face, is at the forefront of our Plan for Change and our mission to grow the economy, and colleges like this are crucial to that mission, empowering people to get skills no matter what their background.” 

Rachel Perks, Principal of New College Worcester, added: 

“It was a pleasure to host Baroness Smith today and have the opportunity to demonstrate the essential role special schools such as ours play in supporting young people with disabilities to thrive. 

“If children and young people receive timely support that meets their needs at the right kind of school then they are much more likely to be prepared and able to access the workplace when they are older.

“If the government wishes to achieve its ambitious 80 per cent employment rate, it needs to act now to enable visually impaired students to play a full and active role in the workplace of the future.”

Here at NCW, we are calling on people who support additional funding for special education to join the campaign by signing an open letter to the Treasury available on our school website.