There are some moments in our professional lives that touch us on a deeply personal level. Assessing New College Worcester for the Wellbeing Award for Schools was one of those moments for me.
For the past nine years, I have worked as an advisor and assessor for Optimus Education’s Wellbeing Award for Schools. I also have the privilege of supporting schools as they work to embed emotional wellbeing and mental health across their whole community. It is always an honour to accompany a setting on this journey and to see the commitment, reflection and teamwork that lie behind achieving the award.
However, advising New College Worcester throughout its two-year journey and assessing the college for the award has meant more to me than the leadership team and staff may ever fully realise.
New College Worcester is a specialist residential school and college for young people who are blind or vision impaired. It is also a local school to me, here in Worcestershire. From the beginning, I felt a very personal connection to its work because of my own family’s experience of sight loss.
My mum was partially sighted. She had one eye removed when she was just 21 years old and pregnant with me. As I was growing up, she continued to experience eye disease in her remaining eye. Hospital visits and darkened room were a regular part of our lives, and there was always the fear that one day she might lose her sight completely.
As a child, I found that possibility frightening and anxiety-provoking. Today, Mum’s sight in her remaining eye is impaired further by a cataract. Those early experiences have never left me, and they shaped the depth of feeling I brought to my work with NCW.
Learning from NCW’s remarkable students
Over the past three years, I have learnt so much from the students at NCW. I have been struck by their confidence, determination, humour and resilience, as well as by their willingness to speak honestly about their experiences.
Many shared the difficulties they had encountered in mainstream education and the profound difference that coming to NCW had made to their lives. Their stories helped me understand more fully how the right specialist support can transform not only a young person’s education, but also their sense of belonging, independence and hope for the future.
During the assessment, students spoke warmly about the support available to them. One described NCW as “the best school ever”, while others explained that there is always someone they can talk to. That sense of trust was visible throughout the college: students appeared comfortable, engaged and confident in approaching staff.
NCW provides outstanding specialist provision for students who are vision impaired or severely vision impaired, including those with additional and complex needs. Yet what stood out was not only the specialist expertise. It was the quality of the relationships and the genuinely nurturing, inclusive and student-centred culture.
A whole-college commitment to wellbeing
Achieving the Wellbeing Award for Schools is not about completing a checklist. It requires a setting to listen carefully to its community, examine its practice honestly and establish a sustainable, whole-setting approach to emotional wellbeing and mental health.
NCW involved students, staff, parents, carers and governors throughout its journey. Together, they reviewed existing provision, celebrated what was already working well and identified priorities for further development. These included student voice, staff wellbeing, training, communication and access to support.
The college has established a clear, sustainable and long-term wellbeing strategy. Its new sensory and wellbeing room is already a valued resource, while pastoral support, professional development and stronger communication between the college and families are having a significant impact.
Parents and carers described NCW as a “unique and life-changing setting”. That phrase captures what I witnessed. Wellbeing is not treated as an additional initiative; it is embedded in strategic planning, policies, relationships and everyday practice. It supports learning, independence and preparation for adulthood.
A richly deserved achievement
I was delighted to recommend New College Worcester for the Wellbeing Award for Schools. This achievement reflects the exceptional commitment of senior leaders, governors, the Award Co-ordinator, staff, students, parents and carers to promoting emotional wellbeing and positive mental health across the whole-college community.
For me, it has been a great honour to advise and work alongside the leadership team, staff and students during this journey, and then to assess the college for the award. The experience has deepened my understanding of the challenges faced by young people with vision impairment, but it has also shown me what becomes possible when young people are surrounded by specialist expertise, high expectations, compassionate relationships and a community in which they truly belong.
Congratulations to everyone at New College Worcester. This award is richly deserved, and I hope the whole community feels immensely proud of everything it represents.
Read New College Worcester’s announcement: https://www.ncw.co.uk/blog/2026/09/04/ncw-achieves-prestigious-wellbeing-award-for-schools/
Find out more about the Wellbeing Award: WAS – Wellbeing Award for Schools | Award Place
