All you can ask is that they try their hardest

Every step of my son’s educational journey has been emotional, anxious, probably the most profound learning curve a parent can possibly go on!

University was always the pinnacle, the-dare-to-hope end destination, and I guess, ultimately, transition from childhood into adulthood.

As a family, Christian and I have been lucky on the journey through his special educational needs, we have always felt largely well-supported at each of his schools and later at Heart of Worcestershire College. This was also the case when Christian got offered a place at the University of Worcester.  After both of his sisters also being university graduates, the pride that I felt is indescribable.

Initially, at the start of the journey, during the careers day at school, we spoke to two lovely post graduate students from Worcester Uni, who advised Chris and I that once he had finished his college course, and gained the necessary qualifications, he could apply for a number of courses appropriate for his career choice. I was impressed, and that was our first reassuring  experience of Worcester Uni. The representatives were both encouraging and informative regarding his disability, and I remember thinking, they had a ‘can do’ attitude towards disability, which assured us this might not actually be a problem for Chris! In fact, the Uni appeared to actively welcome disabled students, and we realised quickly the Uni were proud to have a diverse culture! Music to an SEND young person’s parent’s ears!

Christian worked hard at college, again, being wonderfully supported at HoW to gain excellent results, and after 3 years he got accepted to start at the University of Worcester in 2021 for his chosen course. In 2024, he graduated with a Sports Coaching Science with Disability Sport Degree.

We had lots of meetings ahead of his start date with the Learning Support Team which included Chris’ personal and course tutors, and plans were made to help Chris navigate the buildings, become orientated, have any materials required or adjustments made and feel supported rather than isolated, which was always the overriding parental fear. How would he cope in such a big campus? A strange city, a different environment? Is he expected to be a  - gulp - grown up? My worries seemed endless! 

With all honesty, those first few weeks were nerve wracking for us both, it would’ve been far easier for us to just stay in our little comfort zones thinking ‘this is too hard’… but that would have meant to give in to fear, to not try something new and to deny opportunities. Plus, however scary, we both felt we were in safe hands with the University of Worcester. 

Enrolment Day was upon us, it was all so well organised, and no-one treated Chris any differently to the scores of other young people embarking upon their own journeys. I was able to talk to anyone in the support team, once studying was underway, and I needed to be reassured frequently initially, to hear he was doing just fine was so good. Chris was also able to rely on staff for help if he needed it at anytime, however, he could be independent without feeling he was being a nuisance. He was a day undergraduate student, because it suited his needs to stay at home, as well as being one less thing to worry about for me!

In truth, it wasn’t long at all before Christian started to get used to the campuses, the geography of Worcester City, and he started to make new friends on his course and in the Student Union. Suddenly there seemed to be no stopping him! He flourished at Uni, he loved his course, his independence and his confidence grew exponentially, he started to win awards, started student groups, went out socially and his success was unparalleled to anything before.

Studying at the University of Worcester was a wonderful decision and experience, for us, all you want for your SEND child is for them to be happy and achieve as much as they are able. We dared to dream big, and with the help and support of everyone at the University of Worcester, the big dream came true, and then some!

I would say to any parent of a SEND young person thinking about further or higher education, go the open days, see and hear what can be offered for your child or young person, because yours and their dreams - can come true.