On Bell Hill in Northfield, Victoria College runs on a deliberately different timetable: a 10.00am start and a 4.00pm finish, built around the rhythms and care needs of young adults. It is a special school for boys and girls aged 19 to 25 in Birmingham, West Midlands, with a published capacity of 40.
This is a small, specialist setting for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex needs, shaped around Preparing for Adulthood outcomes and daily health support. The 2025 Ofsted inspection rated Victoria College Good.
A college for 19 to 25 year olds has to feel like a step forward, not a holding pen. Victoria College’s tone is adult-facing: routines are structured, but the underlying aim is independence, choice, and a sense of agency, however a student communicates it.
Leadership is visible in the way the place is organised. Mr Gary Coffey is Executive Headteacher, and Ms Clare Scattergood is Head of College. The college became an Independent Specialist College in 2018 and is governed by a Board of Trustees, which matters for families because it signals a specialist post-16 model with its own governance and accountability.
Smallness here is not about exclusivity. It is about feasibility. At the time of the most recent inspection, the college had 26 students, and that scale makes it possible to hold high expectations without resorting to one-size-fits-all routines. Students are supported to make choices, manage behaviour, and participate in learning in ways that are meaningful for them, with staff who know students well and work closely with medical colleagues.
Values are presented as more than posters. Alongside the college strapline, Motivate, Develop, Inspire, the wider R.I.S.E set (Respect, Inspire, Support, Empower) sets an adult tone: dignity first, then ambition.
We do not publish results data for special schools.
Progress is measured against individual Education, Health and Care Plan targets and Preparing for Adulthood outcomes, rather than exam tables. The college records learning and progress through a digital platform using video evidence and witness statements, which suits students whose achievements are often practical, sensory, communication-based, or rooted in health and independence. Most students make progress against education and behavioural targets, which is the real headline families need.
For some students, progress looks like tolerating a new environment calmly, communicating a preference consistently, or building predictable routines around eating, drinking, and postural management. For others, it can mean taking on supported work projects, volunteering, or developing the stamina and attention needed to work alongside peers through a full day. Victoria College is explicit that communication and cognition sit at the centre of this, so learning is not separated from the way a student understands, anticipates, and makes choices.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
43.52%
% of students achieving grades 9-7
The curriculum is built around preparing students for adulthood, with strands that cover employment, independent living skills, community inclusion and health. Baseline assessment is used to identify starting points and support an appropriate pathway, and students are taught in groups that fit their needs and capacity to engage.
Communication is treated as the foundation, not a bolt-on. The college uses a Total Communication approach that includes Intensive Interaction, Makaton signing, symbols, on-body signing, objects of reference, body language and facial expressions, spoken language, and Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices tailored to individual students. Staff receive training in these approaches from the speech and language therapist and other specialists, and the point is flexibility: students are not expected to fit one system, and approaches adapt as needs change.
Teaching strategies are practical and sensory-aware. Staff use adapted resources, including for students with visual impairment, and use music and movement to help students understand what is happening in their bodies and how to interact positively with others. Because many students have complex sensory profiles, the challenge is always calibration: enough input to engage, not so much that focus is lost, especially at the start of sessions.
This is a college with an “after” in mind. The pathways are designed to move students towards their next stage, which might be supported volunteering, adult day provision, supported living arrangements, or continued health-led support with a stronger emphasis on participation and communication.
A careers programme sits inside this, not alongside it. Students are introduced to the world of work through internal and external projects, and the college builds work awareness through planned weeks and community-based activities. One case study describes a student beginning supported work experience with Communicate 2U (C2U), a social enterprise focused on improving communication in health and social care. The work involved drama, music and film, and included training sessions linked to organisations such as QE Hospital, the Royal College of Nurses and Coventry University. It is a good example of the college’s best version of “employment”: not generic placements, but experiences that match a student’s strengths and communication style.
For students with the greatest medical and learning needs, “next” may be less about job outcomes and more about sustained participation: tolerating unfamiliar environments, communicating preferences, building confidence with new people, and transferring skills into future settings. The college also supports transitions by helping students recognise features of their learning environment and relate them to the kinds of settings they may move into later.
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Admissions need to be understood on their own terms. This is specialist post-16 education; places are for students with Education, Health and Care Plans, and the pathway into the college sits alongside local authority processes and transition planning. The college works closely with local authorities and the health team assesses needs before enrolment, with transition meetings to plan support for medication, eating and drinking, and postural management.
Victoria College is designed for students aged 19 to 25 with profound and multiple learning difficulties, physical disabilities and complex health care needs. Students are grouped to match cognitive ability and capacity to engage, including a sensory group for students with profound disabilities and significant communication challenges, and higher pathways that can include supported volunteering and wider transition preparation.
Parents will want to look beyond labels and focus on fit. A sensible starting point is mapping the student’s current communication approach, health needs, and regulation strategies, then checking how these will translate to a post-16 setting with a longer day and a strong community inclusion element.
Visits and transition activity run through the year, and the college also schedules transition student visits and assessments. Keep your paperwork organised early. The FindMySchool Saved Schools shortlist can help families keep a simple record of who they have contacted, what each local authority team has asked for, and the questions you still need answered about therapy time, transport, and daily routines.
Victoria College’s pastoral story is inseparable from care, health, and communication. Many students require additional support with medication, eating and drinking, and postural management, and staff are trained in dysphagia and manual handling to support students safely and consistently. A nurse can attend community inclusion visits when nursing support is required, which gives families confidence that education does not stop when the timetable moves beyond the building.
Students have access to a wide range of therapies. This includes hydrotherapy, rebound therapy, speech and language therapy and music therapy, alongside physiotherapy support and close liaison with medical colleagues. The effect is practical: learning is planned with a student’s physical comfort and communication needs in mind, so participation becomes more reliable and independence is built in small, repeatable steps.
Behaviour support is framed as regulation and choice. Students have behaviour risk reduction plans to help them self-regulate and continue with activities, and staff work with students to make appropriate choices. Wellbeing is also taught directly: students develop understanding of their bodies, relationships, and feelings, and learn safety routines in ways that match their communication profile.
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
“Enrichment” can sound like a luxury in specialist education. Here it is a delivery mechanism. The college uses meaningful activities to teach communication, independence, and community participation, so the enrichment offer is part of the curriculum, not a reward for finishing it.
Community inclusion is treated as a major strand. Students visit local and wider communities, and repeated visits to the same place over a number of weeks are used to build anticipation, recognition, and confidence. The college has two minibuses to support visits, each able to take up to five students and staff, and transport into college is provided by the local authority with individual applications made to each local authority. For many families, that combination matters: it makes community learning feasible without putting the burden of logistics entirely on parents.
Employment-related learning is also grounded in real projects. Recent examples include creating a beach-themed area in a local primary school playground, building insect houses for community outdoor areas, working with horses at a stable, and working at a community allotment to plant, weed and harvest vegetables. These are concrete, hands-on tasks that give students a way to contribute and practise skills in context.
Arts and physical activity are woven in as both enjoyment and regulation. Students have access to dance, drama and sports, and the college orchestra is part of the offer. For students with profound needs, these activities can be where communication becomes most visible: a choice expressed, a preference repeated, an interaction sustained longer than last term.
The college runs a 38-week, term-time provision and the day is 10.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday. For families, that later start can make a meaningful difference to morning care routines and transport schedules.
Transport into college is provided by the local authority, with individual applications made to each local authority, and college staff can support families with that process. The college also uses its two minibuses for community inclusion visits and work-related learning. If you plan to drive for a visit or meeting, confirm current parking arrangements when booking.
Students follow individual timetables built around personal targets, therapies, and preparing-for-adulthood learning. Expect the day to include communication-focused work, health-led routines where needed, and structured activities that build independence and participation.
Age and stage: This is specialist post-16 education for 19 to 25 year olds. It suits families who want a clear bridge into adulthood, not a repeat of school.
Health complexity: Many students need support with medication, eating and drinking, and postural management. That is a strength when it matches your young person’s needs, but it also means families should ask detailed questions about how health routines are handled across the full day and during off-site activities.
Focus at the start of sessions: Some learning activities can contain too much stimulation at the beginning, which can distract a small number of students. Families should explore how staff set students up for calm starts and sustained attention.
Consistency of behaviour strategies: Regulation plans and tools are part of daily life, but consistency across all staff matters. Ask how strategies are shared, updated, and reinforced so your young person experiences the same approach throughout the week.
Victoria College is a small, adult-facing specialist setting that takes the “preparing for adulthood” brief seriously. Communication is the spine of the curriculum, health support is integrated into daily routines, and community inclusion is used as a teaching tool rather than a treat.
Best suited to families seeking a specialist post-16 pathway for a young adult with profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex needs, where progress is measured through communication, independence, and participation. The key decision is fit: the right match between a student’s communication profile, health needs, and the college’s structured, community-focused approach. For families weighing several specialist options, FindMySchool’s Saved Schools shortlist can help you compare therapy access, transport arrangements, and day structure side by side.
The most recent inspection rated Victoria College Good, with strengths in an inclusive environment, ambitious individualised curriculum planning, and meaningful preparation for adulthood. For families, the more useful indicator is whether the college’s combination of communication-led teaching, health support, and community learning matches the young person in front of you.
Victoria College is for students aged 19 to 25. It is a post-16 setting designed to build adulthood skills, communication, and participation for young adults with high needs.
Places are for students with Education, Health and Care Plans, and admissions sit alongside local authority processes and transition planning. Families typically move forward through discussions with their local authority team, with visits and transition meetings used to plan health support, communication approaches, and an appropriate pathway.
Students can access therapies including hydrotherapy, rebound therapy, speech and language therapy and music therapy, alongside physiotherapy support and nursing input where needed. Therapy and education are closely linked, so targets around communication, movement, and participation are built into everyday learning rather than kept separate.
The college day runs from 10.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday, across a 38-week term-time programme. Students follow individual timetables that combine personal targets, communication-led learning, health routines where required, and activities that build community participation and independence.
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