InFocus College is proud to take part in The Power of Specialist FE awareness week, highlighting the essential role that specialist further education (FE) plays in supporting young people with the most complex needs.
Led by Natspec, the membership body for specialist FE colleges, The Power of Specialist FE awareness week runs from 1-5 December 2025. It brings together specialist colleges and other providers offering specialist FE from across the country to celebrate the important work they do with young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Across England, more than 1.7 million children and young people are identified as having SEND – the highest figure ever recorded. While the growth in numbers and the costs of meeting increasing levels of need is gaining national attention, the focus is primarily on children and schools. The crucial role of colleges, and in particular the specialist provision they offer 16 – 25-year-olds with SEND often goes unrecognised in discussions about long-term solutions.
The existence of specialist FE means that, however complex a young person’s needs, there is a college that can support them, give them the opportunities they deserve, and set them up for a bright future.
InFocus College helps learners with vision impairment and complex needs increase their independence and develop the confidence and skills they need to thrive in life and contribute to their communities. Through a specialist curriculum, personalised therapy programmes and deep expertise in vision impairment, students can unlock their learning potential and are supported to achieve their goals beyond education.
Along with other specialist FE providers across the country, including The Deaf Academy in Exmouth, throughout the first week of December InFocus College will be celebrating learners’ achievements and highlighting the vital role of specialist provision. They will be showcasing the impact of specialist FE and sharing stories that demonstrate how it changes lives.
Catherine Scott Baker, Principal at InFocus College, said:
“At InFocus College, we start with each student’s aspirations for their next step in life – whatever that might look like for them. Every young person, regardless of ability, deserves the education, care and specialist support that will help them move confidently into adulthood. For our learners, that additional layer of expertise and understanding is essential in enabling them to reach their goals.
That’s why we’re proud to support The Power of Specialist FE Awareness Week. It is vital that more people – particularly policymakers, budget holders, employers and the wider public – recognise the impact specialist colleges have in ensuring that young people with disabilities can lead lives that are meaningful, purposeful and valued.”
Clare Howard, Chief Executive at Natspec, said:
“Specialist FE is about unlocking potential and creating positive futures. Our colleges give young people, many with very complex needs, the skills, confidence and independence they need to succeed in their adult lives. They are critical to the government’s mission to create an inclusive education system, where no learner is left behind. Yet despite this, the sector is too often overlooked by policy makers.
“Through The Power of Specialist FE awareness week, we are shining a light on this vital provision to ensure that it is recognised, valued and fully included in future policy making.”