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Design of the times

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Derwen staff and governors took part in branding workshop Derwen College students and Principal Meryl Green met with Warran Brindle from Design by Country.

Derwen is working with branding specialists Design by COUNTRY. Together we are creating a brighter, more engaging online and on-campus presence. The aim of the rebrand is to be fully accessible and to have a brand which reflects our forward-thinking approach.

The rebrand will be used across the College’s main site, as well as satellite sites for day students at Telford, Walford (near Shrewsbury), and Ludlow.

The College and rebrand experts Design by Country are in the process of consulting with students, staff, clients, families and stakeholders to get a real feel for what Derwen is all about. We have already enjoyed two lively workshops – one with staff and governors, and one with the College’s Student Union Board. These have already offered up plenty of interesting and diverse ideas.

Accessibility is key

Accessibility is key to the new branding. The college will be working with COUNTRY, and The National Autistic Society to ensure that all new branding, signage, and website design are accessible to all current and potential stakeholders.
The Design by Country team worked with Derwen's Student Union Board

Derwen College Principal and CEO Meryl Green said:

“As a leading further education college, it is vital that our branding reflects that we are a forward-thinking college. But also that we are caring, collaborative and passionate about doing the very best for our students.

“Accessibility is also of utmost importance, across College sites and online, for students, potential students, families, staff and visitors to our commercial areas.

“It’s a challenge, but we believe that through our partnership with Design by Country, we can deliver.”

Design by Country director Warran Brindle said:

“At COUNTRY, we are passionate about specialist education and in particular designing truly accessible brands and digital experiences. Our strategic creative process is inclusive by design, involving students, staff, stakeholders and customers to make sure we capture the essence of the brand. It’s an honour and a privilege to have been chosen by Derwen to deliver their rebrand, wayfinding and new website.”

Derwen College wins Tes FE Award 2021

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Derwen College's Chair of Governors K Kimber and Principal & CEO Meryl Green celebrate the college's Specialist Provider of the year status with students Courtney and Joe.
Chair of Governors K Kimber, students Courtney and Joe, and Principal Meryl Green celebrate being named Specialist Provider of the Year.

Everyone at Derwen College is over the moon to have scooped a teaching award that is the further education equivalent of the Oscars.

We have received the Tes FE Award for Specialist Provider of the Year in these top awards which recognise those that work in further education.

Staff and students were delighted to receive such fabulous news during what has been an incredibly challenging year.

Judges praised Derwen College for doing everything in our power to continue our mission to create a world without barriers for our students with SEND, even during a pandemic.

When the pandemic hit, we didn’t just survive: we thrived! Staff across curriculum, care and support came together with parents, carers, supporters and industry partners. We ensured that work, independence skills, health, fitness, sports and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award all continued. Though, often in different ways.

Retail student Mia arranges stock in The Vintage Advantage charity shop.

We set up our brand new on-site charity shop The Vintage Advantage. We launched an online eBay shop and a new takeaway service for staff and students. This ensured that work placements for students continued.

Staff worked tirelessly to host annual events virtually, including open days, sports day, competitions, a prom and graduation ceremony.

Derwen College even opened a new Telford campus as planned in September 2020. This site delivers much-needed provision to students with SEND in the area.

Commitment and creativity

Our Chair of Governors Kathleen Kimber said:

“We have long been proud of how Derwen works with its students and their achievements never fail to amaze us. Recently the staff have gone above and beyond what could have been expected of them. Their commitment and creativity during long periods when students were having to isolate in bubbles here or spend time at home have been outstanding.

“What has been striking is that student engagement and enjoyment have been very evident. There has been a sense of fun. New ventures have been successfully launched, either to offer an alternative to work experience off-site or to bring to fruition a planned development, such as the opening of the new satellite at Telford. Thank you to all the staff; well done to all students. We know we shall build further on this.”

Year of triumphs

Derwen College Principal and CEO Meryl Green said:

“I would like to say a huge thank you to every single member of staff at Derwen College. This award recognises the commitment, imagination, passion and resilience of staff across College campuses. It has been a year of triumphs for the college during some challenging times. We are honoured to have been recognised by judges who are experts in the field of education. The Specialist Provider of the Year category has many contenders of an impressive calibre who have all worked tirelessly to support people with SEND in further education. We couldn’t be happier to have received an award of such high esteem.”

Tes FE Awards 2021 lead judge Lynette Barrett said:

“During such adverse and difficult times, this college has shown how it has remained focused on student achievements and outcomes. The pandemic did not hold this college back; it initiated new projects, which meant student outcomes could be achieved, and learners remained safe and engaged in their education.

“The staff worked relentlessly to remain open and create new ways of working, which allowed some of the most vulnerable young people in society to achieve their outcomes without compromise.”

Derwen@Telford’s first pop-up stall

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Visitors from local business, families and friends of students flocked to Derwen College’s first Telford market stall.

Students with learning difficulties, disabilities and autism practised their hospitality, customer service and business skills on a pop-market stall at Derwen@Telford this week. The stall was run by day students at the college’s Telford satellite, and visiting Retail & Enterprise students from the college’s site near Oswestry.

Derwen College, which opened its newest satellite site in Telford last September, invited families, supporters and the community, to join them at their Stafford Park site for drinks, snacks, and gifts and goodies galore.

Derwen@Telford  students, who are based at Stafford Park 7, in Telford, were joined by staff and students from the college’s Gobowen site who brought home-made bread, jam, chutney and cakes made in the college’s on-site Food Centre. There was also handmade jewellery and bags, candles, soaps, snacks, chocolates, crisps and drinks.

Derwen@Telford satellite lead Lucy Harrison said that students and staff were excited to use their work skills for the first of many stalls and that the day was a great success.

She said: “Day students at Derwen@Telford learn business and hospitality skills which they were able to put into practice in preparing for this event, as well as serving and greeting people on the day. We created flyers and posters to encourage visitors from the local business area, and contacted families, parents, professionals and families from local schools.

“We were extremely busy printing promotional materials such as stickers with our branding on.

“So were really happy to be rewarded by so many visitors to our site. It was wonderful for students to enjoy their first customer-facing roles, and for people in the community to  find out more about what we do. Our stall also made a grand total of £340!”

To find out more about learning, independence and work experience as a day or residential student at Derwen College, then sign up to the College’s Summer Open Day on 26th June.

Sign up to the main site Open Day

Or sign up to find out more about our satellite sites at Telford, Baschurch and Craven Arms.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards- a lasting legacy

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Derwen College joins Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards providers across Great Britain and the Commonwealth in thinking of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, his family, and his legacy: The Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Awards.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards are a lasting legacy which have truly changed the lives of many thousands of young people. Derwen College has been running the DofE programme since 2014, and was the first provider in Shropshire to run the scheme for participants with special educational needs and disabilities.

We know from talking to students and their families, how this unique experience has helped them to develop and grow, offering them skills which can change their lives.

Steve Evans, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Award Coordinator at Derwen College, believes that:

“The DofE award supplements everything else we do in College in terms of developing independence and gaining skills for life. Individually and as a group, participation in the DofE gives all students an opportunity to be independent, to grow in confidence and be challenged.  A challenge that sees the development of new skills and attitudes to be a more rounded, confident young adult”.

Here are just a few of the student stories which show how the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards have inspired some of our students and former students.

Student stories

Anna’s new found confidence after DofE Awards enabled her to achieve employment after leaving College.

Caitlin and her family have seen her achieve things that they never thought possible.

Her dad says: “The programme gives Caitlin great pride. It makes her feel like she is part of something. She likes to get out and do things and try things. The programme is also a wonderful way to connect with the community – be it the people with whom she is working to achieve the awards or the people she encounters in undertaking the awards such as when she volunteers. 

 “The programme has given her responsibilities and the ability to try different things she probably would not have tried on her own.  It has certainly challenged her and made her – and us – aim higher!”

Oliver achieved his Gold award and has gone on to employment and independent living in his own flat.

He says: “I really enjoyed my DofE and liked working as part of a team. I had a great sense of achievement when I finished each section. I was excited to go to Buckingham Palace to collect my Gold Award.”

And Adam discovered he had untapped leadership skills. These, along with new-found confidence, have helped him go on to further training at College.

He says: “Being on DofE expeditions made me feel more relaxed and motivated me to overcome challenges. It gave me a great sense of achievement and taught me new practical skills. I sometimes find it hard to focus on a task but with DofE I was engaged which made me more confident and keen to take on more of a leadership role.”

Euan is on the way to achieving his Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. He finds the awards motivating and engaging.

Dad Jim says:

“Euan loves the outdoors and is very inquisitive. He loves to be active and above all else he likes camping and all things that happen associated with camping, such as campfire activities.

“Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has given him a focus when he has been at Derwen College, and he loves to carry on activities when he’s at home. Over the February half term, we did lots of walking and even a night out in the tent!”

Thank you to the Duke of Edinburgh for creating these life-changing awards which mean so much to us at Derwen College.

We look forward to carrying on working towards the awards, and hope to be able to return to expeditions. Work also continues on our new dedicated Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards outside area.

Watch this space for more details soon …

Derwen launches cracking Easter Charity Challenge 

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Fundraiser Anna Evans shows off the medals that every competitor will receive.

A virtual Easter tour across Britain is the latest charity challenge hatched by Shropshire’s Derwen College.

Staff at the Gobowen-based college for young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have organised The Derwen Easter Charity Challenge. This is a 2000-mile tour of Britain, visiting the regions and towns the college’s students, past and present, all hail from.

The virtual route takes in all the mainland capital cities and stretches from Cornwall to Perthshire. Places visited represent areas across Britain students come from to attend Derwen College.

The college is calling on walkers, runners and cyclists to get involved and take part in this new event which takes place from Monday, 29th March to Sunday, 11th April, during Easter holidays.

Participants can walk, run, cycle, swim or even Easter bunny hop, any distance they choose. Every mile helps, and the distance they cover will be added to the overall total.

With milestones dotted along the route, participants will receive messages from students and ex-students welcoming them to their home county. Some messages will also explain how funds raised during the challenge help students gain important work and independent living skills.

Sponsored walk

The event replaces the annual Derwen College sponsored walk – an event that has proved popular for students and the local community alike.  However, due to current Covid restrictions, the annual sponsored walk has been cancelled for the second time in two years.

Funds raised from the event will be used to create new, modern accommodation at the Agnes Hunt Village. This is a complex of bungalows where people with SEND learn to live on their own, as independently as possible.

Derwen College Principal Meryl Green said:

“The annual Derwen College sponsored walk is an important fundraising event which helps us to provide the facilities, tools and accommodation our students need to flourish and progress whilst at college.

“It is also hugely popular among the staff, students and clients here at Derwen. And attracts lots of participants from the local community.

“We have had to think outside the box this year, and come up with an alternative. We hope the challenge will pull everyone together, provide some fun and raise much needed funds for the College.”

The new event will be even more inclusive than previous sponsored walks. People can take part from their home, choosing their own route, pace and mode of travel. Participants can choose to run or walk 10k in one go (as they would have done during the Derwen College sponsored walk), or they can add to the journey a little at a time. They also have the choice to run, walk, cycle, swim or use any other self-propelled mode of travel. The sky is the limit!

For more details and to register click here or contact Anna Evans on anna.evans@derwen.ac.uk

Thank you to Cae Glas Lodge

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Sports Co-ordinator Steve Evans, student Conor Sheehan, Pete Adams Secretary of Cae Glas Lodge and Andy Clarke Charity Steward at Cae Glas Lodge.

Cae Glas Lodge Freemasons, in Oswestry, have made a donation to Derwen College. This is to enable students at the specialist further education college to take part in hugely beneficial Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.

Members of Cae Glas Lodge visited Derwen College, in Gobowen, to present a donation of £500 to the college’s Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Awards programme. Receiving the cheque was student Conor Sheehan, who is currently working towards his DofE Gold Award. He was joined by DofE Coordinator at Derwen College, Steve Evans.

Steve said: “We are really delighted to receive this donation from members of Cae Glas Lodge in Oswestry. Their support over the years has been invaluable. This has allowed us to get to where we are with this important and popular DofE programme at Derwen College.

“Our students will be taking part in their DofE expeditions in spring next year. This donation will help to pay for their expedition costs. Thank you.”

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards are an important part of the Derwen College experience for many of the college’s students. Former student Adam is one example of a young man who grew in self-confidence and teamworking skills due to the awards. Read more about Adam HERE.

This term has also seen student Carter Gough finish his time at College after having achieved his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Participation certificate. Read more about how Carter worked hard to complete Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections of the awards. He achieved this even whilst working from home during lockdown. We applaud his commitment in taking part in #DofEWithADifference.

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It's our Summer Fete and we're having a whale of a time enjoying ice-creams, a jubilee village hall theme in the Orangery, a barbecue, lots of games and children's activities, and plenty of stalls. Come and join us today until 4pm! Our stalls are here again tomorrow too!

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