Derwen College

Last updated

Derwen College
Motto in English
A Place of Possibility
TypeSpecialist College
Established1927
FounderDame Agnes Hunt
Principal Meryl Green
Address
Whittington Road, Gobowen
,
Oswestry
,
Shropshire
,
SY11 3JA
,
UK
CampusResidential and Day Provision
PatronHRH The Duchess of Kent
Website https://www.derwen.ac.uk/
Derwen College

Derwen College is a specialist college situated in Gobowen near Oswestry in Shropshire in the United Kingdom.

Contents

Derwen College offers residential and day placements to students aged 16–25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including:

Students at Derwen College are supported to develop employability, social, and independence skills, preparing them for adulthood.

Derwen College's main campus in Gobowen, near Oswestry, and also three smaller campuses across Shropshire at: Ludlow, Telford and Walford (near Shrewsbury).

The College is rated as 'Good' by Ofsted. [2] Derwen College is also rated as 'Good [3] ' by CQC.

Derwen College's History

Derwen College was established in 1927 by Dame Agnes Hunt.

The training College was initially set up in 'a couple of vacant huts in the grounds [4] ' of the Orthopaedic Hospital. Here physically disabled young people could learn a trade, suitable to their disability, and become either partially or wholly self-supporting.

A year later, in 1928, the College moved to the property next door to the hospital, The Derwen – a Georgian farmhouse.

The College remains at the site in Gobowen, and opened three other campuses at: Walford, near Shrewsbury in 2014, Telford in 2020, and Ludlow in south Shropshire, in 2021.

Derwen College will be celebrating its centenary in 2027.

Visiting Derwen College's Marketplace

Derwen College Marketplace in Gobowen is a unique setting where Derwen College students undertake work placements in a range of customer facing outlets to gain vocational work skills.

By undertaking work placements (in the restaurant, cafes, charity shop, hotel and garden centre), students learn key skills through real-life experience.

Work placements enable students to learn essential vocational skills for life including customer service, retail and hospitality skills.

In the latest inspection report, Ofsted said:

Leaders prepare realistic work placements for learners within the college campuses. For example, learners will work in the Garden Café, The Vintage Advantage charity shop, Hotel 751 and the extensive gardens. Learners develop industry-standard skills, which help them to find employment on leaving the college. [2]

This is only possible through your support of Derwen Marketplace.

Awards

Derwen College has received a number of awards including:

2024

Career Development Institute’s award – Best ‘Careers Programme in Post-16 Education’. [5]

2023

Lawn Tennis Association Awards 2023 – Shropshire School of the Year

Skills Competitions Advocate Award in the World Skills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards [6]

Natspec Innovation Award 2023 for Partnerships Working – for partnership with Rocking Horse Media [7]

NASEN Award 2023 – FE Provision of the Year [8]

Oswestry in Bloom Chairs Award for Exceptional Work [9]

2022

The Innovation Award – Charity Retail Awards [10]

Queen’s Award for Enterprise – Promoting Opportunity [11]

Natspec Award 2022 – Pathways into Employment [12]

Aico Awards 2022 – College Initiative of the Year (for the Vintage Advantage launch) [13]

2021

NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) Award – Best aged 16–25 provision in the UK. [14]

Awarded TES FE Awards Specialist provider of the year. [15]

Pearson Teaching Awards 2021 – Gold award for Steve Evans in Specialist Teacher of the Year category. [16]

References

  1. ↑ "Information about Derwen College for Parents & Professionals". Derwen College. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 Ofsted Communications Team (19 May 2021). "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Derwen College - Care Quality Commission". www.cqc.org.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  4. ↑ Hunt, Dame Agnes (1938). This is My Life. Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk: St Edmundsbury Press Ltd (published 2000). pp. 181–187.
  5. ↑ "UKCDA 2024".
  6. ↑ "Equity diversity and inclusion EDI heroes awards 2023".
  7. ↑ "Announcing the winners of the natspec innovation awards 2023".
  8. ↑ "Nasen Awards 2023 winners".
  9. ↑ "Celebrating the community at the Oswestry in Bloom Awards".
  10. ↑ "The charity retail awards winners 2022". Charity Retail Association. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  11. ↑ "Queens Award Enterprise 2022 Official Press Book" (PDF). The Gazette. April 2022.
  12. ↑ "Natspec Awards 2022: Winners". Natspec. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Aico host the Community Awards 2022". Aico. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "nasen Awards 2021 winners announced – Transforming the lives of children and young people with SEND and learning differences". Nasen. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  15. ↑ TES. "TES FE Awards 2021 - Winners". tesfeawards.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  16. ↑ "2021 Gold Award Winners Archives". The Pearson National Teaching Awards. Retrieved 12 August 2022.

52°53′18″N3°01′41″W / 52.8884°N 3.0281°W / 52.8884; -3.0281

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.