MP calls for specialist Shropshire college to be given government support

The Derwen College, in Gobowen, near Oswestry, has been in the spotlight recently with a number of staff being made redundant as students struggled to gain grant funding to attend.

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson has been calling on the government to help the college, which has a reputation for teaching children with physical and learning disabilities.

Mr Paterson recently met the Children’s Minister to discuss what could be done, and has urged the minister to pump money into specialist colleges.

He said the number of pupils have dropped and only around 20 students have so far had places confirmed for next year.

Mr Paterson said: “It is a unique and transformative place, making a massive difference to the lives of young people and their families.

“At one time these young people would simply have been abandoned on benefits and left without hope of leading fulfilled lives.

“Now, the experience they gain at the Derwen means that many of its graduates are gaining the satisfaction and fulfilment which comes from paid work, including through a dedicated training centre with Premier Inn.

"This week, I met the Children’s Minister, Nadhim Zahawi MP, with the chief executive of the college, Ruth Thomas, principal Meryl Green and governor Mike Cowan to discuss some of the impacts which Government policy is having on the Derwen.

"Ruth outlined one of the negative impacts of the Children and Families Act 2014; its focus on localism means that Local Authorities are increasingly choosing to place students close to home, which has a disproportionate impact on provision in sparsely populated rural areas like Shropshire.

As a result, the college has been slowly downsizing over the past four years and will have only 160 students from September.

"They have had an unprecedented 14 tribunal cases – hampering their ability to plan for the future and heaping intolerable uncertainty on to the students concerned – with only 20 students fully confirmed for next year. In mainstream education at this stage in the academic year, it would be inconceivable for so few students not to have their plans for further education in place."

There have been local concerns about the Derwen, which prompted Mr Paterson to meet the minister to try to move forward.

He believes that people who don't get into specialist colleges can cost up to £1 million, but there are many benefits to society if they do attend these colleges.

He added: "I urged the minister to make the case in Government for investment in specialist colleges like the Derwen.

"They are, undoubtedly, more expensive in the short term than mainstream schools and colleges, but our failure to invest would fall heavily on other parts of Government and, ultimately, on the taxpayer.

"The Chief Executive of the Association of National Specialist Colleges, Clare Howard, met me earlier last week.

"She told me that the savings to the taxpayer in health, social care and enabling the parents and carers of these young people to re-join the workforce full-time can be up to £1 million per person over a lifetime.

"It is vital to make sure that the young people and families which Derwen College serves are not left behind. Nothing should stand in the way of the extraordinary opportunities which it provides. I look forward to the Minister seeing this for himself."