Felicity’s Journey at New Ways School

Since its opening in 2018, the outstanding rated specialist provision, New Ways School in Kings Norton, Birmingham, has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure it meets the individual needs of its pupils.

The school provides vital support for children with special educational needs and autism from across the local area. Many of these children have faced a range of challenges throughout their lives, with disrupted educations and struggles in mainstream settings that failed to provide the environment they needed to thrive.

New Ways offers a calm, quiet space with specialist staff, small classrooms, and a welcoming, inclusive environment for just 25 pupils. This thoughtful mix has proven to be the ideal setting for Felicity*, a young person who had previously faced significant difficulties in a mainstream school.

Felicity, who is a wheelchair user, had struggled in her previous school due to its large size, making it difficult for her to navigate independently. Without the necessary support, she was left isolated in the school library, disconnected from her peers, and without proper access to teaching or learning. As a result, she became disengaged.

Her mother, understandably concerned, sought a review of her placement and advocated for Felicity to attend New Ways. Initially, the school was unsure whether it could meet her needs, as the building was not fully accessible. However, after a visit from Felicity’s mother, she felt confident that with the addition of a ramp at the front door, the school could accommodate her daughter’s needs.

In response, New Ways made a significant investment, spending £40,000 to install the ramp and make several other enhancements to ensure the entire school was fully accessible for Felicity.

As Felicity has grown older, she outgrew her original wheelchair. The replacement offered by the NHS was too heavy for her to propel independently, which would have compromised her autonomy. Determined to maintain her independence, the school commissioned a bespoke wheelchair designed to support her for life.