Dan Y Coed’s first ever pupil graduates to a mainstream school

The first pupil to attend Dan Y Coed, a school for children with autism and learning disabilities in Swansea, has progressed so well, thanks to the help of the school’s dedicated teaching, clinical and support team, that he is now attending a mainstream comprehensive school.

Morgan Smith was the first pupil to join the school back in January 2018, prior to which he had attended several schools and specialist facilities. From the very start of his placement, Morgan expressed a desire to go to a mainstream school, so the team at Dan Y Coed devised a support plan to get him there.

A team of learning support specialists, teachers and therapists helped him to gradually break down his social barriers and to establish trust. Morgan came to understand that they would stick by him through tough times. Small classes and a bespoke curriculum unique to him proved invaluable and were the key to his success. He made such good progress that he now attends Dylan Thomas Community School as a pupil.

Orbis Education and Care’s Head of Education Emma Thomas said it is rare for pupils to go from a specialist school to a mainstream placement and she is absolutely delighted with the progress the 15-year-old has made.

She said: “Morgan was our first pupil here and he quickly expressed a desire to go to a mainstream school. The teaching support he needed gradually reduced, and he quickly surpassed his targets. As he continued to make excellent progress, Morgan’s therapeutic support also reduced.

“As part of his last annual review, Morgan wrote to Swansea’s Local Authority education team expressing his desire to go to a mainstream school, and he asked if they would help him get there. They listened and asked an educational psychologist to undertake an assessment to ensure he was ready for this journey. Morgan excelled at this, and we worked closely with Dylan Thomas Community School to create a good transition plan into the secondary school.”

Morgan is attending on a bespoke-hybrid basis where staff from Dan Y Coed continue to go to his school daily to support them in understanding how best to work with him. This also provides Morgan with familiarity and consistency.

Emma added that it has been an emotional time watching her first ever pupil fulfil his ambition.

She said: “Seeing him in his uniform brought a tear to my eye! I was crying with pure elation and pride. I was so proud of him. It’s not often that you get to see an achievement of this magnitude and how it can affect the life of a pupil and their family.

“I was Morgan’s teacher and Headteacher from day one, and never imagined we would see this level of progress. Success like this takes commitment, resilience and perseverance from all staff, and I could not be prouder of Morgan and the whole team.”