This is the story of Zac, one of our students at NCW, and his mother Suzanne’s personal journey and fight to find the right educational support.
We sadly encounter too many stories where a parent is struggling to navigate a complex and often overwhelming special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding system. However, there are situations where, despite all the odds, the story has a happy ending.
Zac and Suzanne’s story
Zac’s story shines a light on the systemic challenges faced by families with vision impaired children, families who are doing their best to get the right support for their child.
Despite Zac’s bright and capable nature, he struggled to thrive in mainstream school settings, including interacting with his peers and accessing the curriculum. Due to the lack of understanding and appropriate support, this led to Zac experiencing high levels of anxiety, and he began to withdraw socially and academically. It was at that point that Suzanne and her husband decided to employ a solicitor as they realised that Zac’s Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) was not sufficient for his needs. She also employed a specialist to help look into alternative school options.
Discovering NCW
Suzanne admits that when the idea of a residential school for Zac was first suggested, she was very much against it. “I could never, ever dream of sending my child away, absolutely not,” says Suzanne. “I kept conjuring visions of a Matilda-esque classroom scenario.” It was only when Suzanne was sent a video of NCW that she started to become more open to the idea. When she sat down with Zac to watch it, she was surprised to hear him say at the end ‘OK yeah, we can go and have a look’.
On the day the family visited NCW, Zac was quiet and Suzanne wasn’t sure what he was thinking. It was on the way home that Zac made his feelings clear.
“We get back on the M5 and Zac’s got his iPad on, and I can hear Ms. Emmanuel talking about independent living skills at the college,” says Suzanne. “So I asked Zac, ‘Oh, what are you doing, sweetheart?’.
“To which he replied ‘Yeah, they’ve got a YouTube channel. They’ve got things like ILS on here. I’ve just subscribed.’
“I was a bit surprised so I took a risk and just asked him what he thought of NCW, and he bluntly said, ‘Well, it’s full of people like me isn’t it. When can I go back for the assessment that they were talking about?’.
“It was at that moment my husband and I realised how much it really mattered to Zac to be around peers with similar challenges, and the potential a specialist setting like NCW could make to his life, which was at that point extremely isolating, lonely and academically limited.”
What happened next?
Unfortunately, Suzanne encountered numerous obstacles and ever-moving goalposts from then on. In short, she battled her local authority for more than 18 months, spending around £70,000 in legal costs and even borrowing against her home. After multiple tribunal attempts and an appearance on ITV News, the local authority finally relented and Zac was offered a place at New College Worcester.
Since starting at NCW in 2023, Zac’s prospects have completely turned around and he is performing well academically. Suzanne says that she’s witnessed her son’s confidence and engagement blossom in an environment that is tailored to his specific needs.
“NCW is providing the right environment, the right academic support, the right pastoral care, and, of course, a tribe to which everyone belongs,” says Suzanne. “We all want to find our tribe I think, and I’m so happy that NCW has provided that setting for Zac and others.”
NCW Principal Rachel Perks says: “It’s stories like Zac and Suzanne’s that make our jobs so rewarding; however, it shouldn’t ever get to that stage in the first place.
“Zac’s story is testament to the transformative impact that the right specialised education can have on a child’s life if they’re given that opportunity.”
Suzanne adds: “The young people at NCW are just extraordinary. They are braver than most of the people that I’ve ever come across. It makes me proud every time I go to that school and see just how much confidence they all have there.
“Over and above what NCW provides you academically is the environment of being around other young people who have exactly the same challenges. You’re accepted, you’re acknowledged, you’re not invisible.”
We are delighted to say that Zac is about to start sixth form at NCW after having his funding approved by his local authority. As for Suzanne, she now volunteers her time and support to other families going through the same experience that she and her family did.
