Special needs college opens state-of-the-art hub

A new £29m college building has opened to educate and care for young people with some of the most complex learning disabilities in the country.

The Royal College Manchester site at the Seashell Trust in the Cheadle Hulme area of Stockport will provide specialist facilities for students aged 16 to 25.

One of its students, Sam, said: "I like the new college, the swimming, the football, the tennis and the climbing wall.

"I'd like to say 'thank you very much' and the building is so great," he told BBC Radio Manchester to mark the new building's official opening.

Sam lives in the Heald Green area of Stockport and is on the employability pathway at the Seashell Trust, which is designed to help its students find paid work.

Last year, he completed a work experience placement at Quarry Bank Mill near Wilmslow and - like other students - he has taken part in travel safety lessons, which involved riding on a tram to the Trafford Centre.

Last year, 45% of students who left Royal College Manchester went into some kind of employment, of which one third involved paid work.

Aine Hickey, a teacher in the college's employability pathway team, said: "It depends on what the individual student's capabilities are, so if they want to be a gardener, it could be planting and potting, and if a student wants to go into hospitality, it could be cleaning tables or greeting customers.

"What we do is prepare our young adults for the world of work, so it's great to see them achieving those targets."

The Seashell Trust comprises the Royal School Manchester for children under 16, and Royal College Manchester for those aged 16 to 25.

The charity has about 700 staff.

About 50 young people live in purpose-built accommodation on the Seashell Trust site. Some of the students require three-to-one care.

The new Ged Mason Building at Royal College Manchester has fully accessible teaching, assistive technology, integrated classrooms and specialist sensory rooms.

Laneyle is one of its students.

The 20-year-old, from Reddish, said: "The staff help me to calm down by taking me for walks around college and it makes me happy.

"I'm also the student fire marshal because it's important to check for hazards like stuff on the floor, fire extinguishers and fire blankets."

As well as educating young people, the Seashell Trust also provides services such as physiotherapy, language therapy, sports activities and family support.

Chief executive Brandon Leigh said: "These state-of-the-art facilities enable our staff to deliver exceptional education, therapy and care in a space that truly reflects the aspirations we hold for every child and young adult at Seashell."

Ruth Elliott, a course manager at Royal College Manchester, said: "The old college building wasn't fit for purpose because of the acoustics, the lighting and narrow corridors, which meant that wheelchairs had to pass in single file.

"The students now feel a lot calmer in our new building, so that can help the learning and development of anybody who comes in this door."

About one third of the cost of building the new campus, including Royal School Manchester and Royal College Manchester, was raised by selling off nearby farmland for housing.

The rest comes from public fundraising and the generosity of wealthy donors.

However, £1m still needs to be raised.

The Seashell Trust is partly funded from the council social care packages of its students, but also needs to raise an additional £2m every year to support its work.