Prime Highlights:
- The Heart of Worcestershire College and National Star’s partnership has successfully completed its first year, giving young adults with disabilities better chances to learn and grow.
- The programme is helping students gain independence through life skills, confidence, and teamwork.
Key Facts:
- Student numbers have more than doubled since the launch in September 2024, with 11 learners now enrolled.
- The partnership won the Collaboration Awardat the Natspec Awards 2025.
Key Background:
The Heart of Worcestershire College and National Star have worked together for a year, helping young adults with disabilities learn life skills and become more independent.
Launched in September 2024, the programme has already more than doubled its student numbers. It has also reduced the need for Worcestershire learners to travel long distances to Gloucestershire for the specialist support they require. Previously, many post-16 students spent up to 10 hours a week commuting to access the education and therapy outlined in their Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
Now, eleven students are benefitting from this innovative local programme, which is delivered at the St Wulstan’s building in Worcester. Supported by Worcestershire County Council through an initial grant and ongoing funding, the facility offers three classrooms, a fully accessible kitchen for developing life skills, therapy rooms, outdoor spaces, and two independent flats where learners can practice living on their own. Being in the city centre allows students to take part in college life and the wider community.
The partnership has already gained national recognition, winning the Collaboration Award at the Natspec Awards in March 2025.
Families and students have given very positive feedback. Students said they feel more confident speaking up, working in teams, and cooking meals on their own. For many, the programme is proving to be life-changing.
Heart of Worcestershire College Principal and CEO, Michelle Dowse, praised the initiative, saying: “By working together with National Star, we’ve been able to offer young adults in Worcestershire access to specialist education closer to home, giving them greater choice and confidence while building the skills they need to thrive in adulthood.”
National Star’s Chief Executive, Lynette Barrett, added: “Putting the needs of students and their families at the heart of this unique partnership is what has made it so successful. Over the past 12 months, every learner has made significant progress, and we are confident they will leave with the skills needed for a more independent future.”
As the programme grows, it stands as a shining example of how collaboration can transform education and create real opportunities for young people with additional needs.
