SEN: No school at 16, now a place at Ulster University

From no school at age 16, to a place at university three years later – that’s the journey Devin North has taken.

Devin, who is autistic, had attended Cedar Lodge special school in north Belfast.

In 2021 he and some other pupils faced having to leave education as Cedar Lodge could not offer post-16 provision.

However after BBC News NI reported his situation, he was able to remain for an extra year at Cedar Lodge to take GCSEs.

Devin subsequently moved on to Hazelwood Integrated College, where he achieved high grades in his BTEC qualifications.

That enabled him to enter Ulster University (UU) to study International Hospitality Management.

Devin, 20, told BBC News NI that even he had been surprised by his BTEC results, which included two ‘A’ grades and an ‘A star’.

“I was really undermining my own confidence,” he said.

“I was really shocked and a bit proud of myself really,” he added.

He has just started his first year at UU in Belfast and said it was “very different” to school.

But he remembered that facing an end to his school career at age 16 had been stressful.

“I was stuck at this wee limbo phase, where I didn’t know what would be my future outcome,” he said.

“It was really tough and took an emotional toll on, not just me, but also my mum and my dad as well.”

Devin and his mum Heather North both are very grateful to staff at Cedar Lodge and Hazelwood College.

“From the day and hour Devin set foot at Cedar Lodge I knew it was somewhere he was going to thrive,” Heather said.

“The school and the remit of the school was just so inspirational and so good.”

“He threw himself right into school,” she added.

“Whenever we got to 16 and there wasn’t an onward pathway into education, we were very concerned as parents.

“You can’t write anybody off,” said Heather.

“My dad has a really good saying: ‘Children are like water, they’ll always find their own level’.

“All you have to do is give them the opportunity to do so,” she added.

While at Hazelwood, Devin even gave a speech to younger pupils “about his struggles through school and education with having additional needs”.

“I am so proud of him,” said his mother.

She said his resilience and determination has shone through.

“When he first got diagnosed with autism, at age three, I didn’t think I’d be sitting here today talking about him going to university.”

In England, by law, there has to be an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan for young people with special needs after they leave school until the age of 25.

In Northern Ireland, no such law or plan exists.

Alma White is a parent who has led a campaign for Stormont to change the law in Northern Ireland.

Heather North said it was a “huge” issue.

“There needs to be more help out there to allow the young people to transition,” she added.

Cedar Lodge’s principal Chris Murphy agrees.

“Our young people do have massive potential,” he said.

“But I think that very often whenever they finish with a special school that they are facing a cliff edge,” he added.

“We understand the pathway that our young people need to take – that pathway isn’t traditional,” he continued.

“It may not happen overnight.”

Mr Murphy said that meant that pupils like Devin may need a little more time or support to fulfil their potential.

“He needed that extra year of nurture, of development,” he said, “that can easily be applied to any of our young people in our schools.”

Devin, meanwhile, has big career ambitions for his future in hospitality.

“I want to build my path up towards management,” says Devin. “I see myself more aiming towards the business aspects of the hospitality industry.”