Coronavirus: Pupils with additional needs face 'difficult' futures

The head of the UK's biggest special education school has said he fears Covid-19 will make it even more difficult for his pupils to find jobs.

Chris Britten, head of Ysgol y Deri in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, said people with additional learning needs faced an even greater struggle for meaningful work.

Employers, he said, would likely be "swamped" with applicants.

"There'll be so many people competing for jobs at every level," he added.

"For most of our pupils the jobs they would do would be meaningful, but they may be in service industries and those sorts of things.

"They're going to be swamped with graduates, so I think it's going to be a difficult, difficult time not just for them but for everyone."

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Mr Britten was speaking after the school, which has more than 300 pupils aged between three and 19, welcomed cameras in for the first time for a three-part BBC documentary series.

Luke has used a wheelchair since he was three years old

Luke, 16, who lives with the rare neurological condition Schizencephaly, is among those featured. He hopes the series will help people learn more about people living with additional needs.

"People with disabilities don't often get their voices heard so this is a great opportunity for that to happen," he said.

Luke said he felt trapped in his body and he hated not being understood.

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He uses assistive technology to communicate and viewers will see him working with teacher Lisa Rees-Renshaw and using his eyes to activate a computer which speaks his words.

"It was tiring being filmed for the documentary, as I had to use my eye gaze a lot which looks easy but takes a lot of concentration," Luke said.

He believes Ysgol y Deri is special for lots of reasons, adding: "The children who attend are all unique and they bring something very special not only to the school, but society.

"The school enables the children to learn and achieve despite their struggles."

Like thousands of other children and young people, pupils returned to Ysgol y Deri last week for their first lessons since lockdown.

Chris Britten hopes the TV series allows people to see the "amazing" people and pupils in the school

Mr Britten said the school was doing everything it could to keep the students and staff safe with full PPE (personal protective equipment) for staff and good hand hygiene.

The students have accepted staff wearing face shields and coverings, aprons, and gloves, with lessons picking up where they left off in March.

But the head teacher admitted it was impossible to socially distance at a school where hugging a member of staff is a natural and normal thing to do.

"There's no question of the kids not being tactile, that's just not going to happen, so you've just got to accept it and make it as safe as you can," he said.

Lockdown brought the school year and filming to a halt back in March, but the three half-hour programmes paint a vibrant picture of life at the school.

Mr Britten said he had been overwhelmed by the response to the trailers for the series.

"I just hope people enjoy it and see the school for what it is, and see the amazing people and pupils in it. That would be enough for me."

A Special School is on BBC One Wales on Monday, 14 September at 20:30 BST. All three programmes in the series will be available to watch on the BBC iPlayer after the first episode has aired.