A specialist school in Essex is making a powerful call to local businesses, urging them to help young people with autism build meaningful and fulfilling lives through practical work experience.
Building Skills and Confidence Beyond the Classroom
Chatten Free School, which opened in Witham in 2021, provides highly specialist day education for children who cannot access other SEND settings. All its students have an autism diagnosis and associated complex needs, with many previously out of education or facing life in care.
As the school grows, it is proactively breaking down barriers by equipping students with real-world skills. The programme focuses on helping young people become tolerant of life in society, learning vital personal skills, and preparing for potential future employment.
Initially, sixth formers learned foundational work-based skills by taking on roles within the school itself. These included decorating, catering, grounds maintenance, banking, leaflet dropping, car-washing and food delivery.
Real-World Partnerships Creating Transformative Opportunities
The initiative has now expanded into the wider community through key partnerships. Students are gaining experience at Level Best, a café in Colchester that hosts work skills training; Rainbow Rural, a care farm near Dunmow; and the Harvester restaurant in Stanway.
Through these placements, teenagers have gained hands-on experience in caring for animals, front-of-house restaurant work, kitchen duties, allotment gardening, and setting and clearing tables.
The impact on students and their families is profound. Charlie Dale, 17, who is non-verbal, attends Level Best and Rainbow Rural each week. His mother, Rebecca, shared her amazement: "I never thought my son would be able to access work experience due to his level of autism... Charlie absolutely loves attending, and the skills he is learning are amazing."
She described him chopping vegetables, using a blender, making sausage rolls, and learning to wash-up at the café. At the farm, he feeds animals, cleans out pens, and pushes a wheelbarrow. "This is a wonderful opportunity for Charlie and one I am very grateful for," she added.
A Call to Action for Local Businesses
A spokesman for Level Best praised the partnership: "Our partnership with Chatten Free School is a great way to support students as they transition out of full-time education. We assist students to develop their independence in a safe, supportive environment." Notably, one student who started on a placement now attends twice weekly as a trainee.
Nicola Knights, the school's careers and community lead, explained the philosophy: "It is not about doing things for the sake of doing things. It is about finding things our young people enjoy doing... We then wanted to transfer the skills they had learnt to other settings in the community."
The school is keen to dismantle barriers that may prevent businesses from offering opportunities. Mrs Knights emphasised: "Our students deserve to have a meaningful and purposeful life of work. While they are with us, the support is there; we are able to make that link, so it is an ideal time for businesses to get involved."
While they have established opportunities in retail, farming, and restaurants, the school is eager to tap into more creative sectors, as well as hotels and factories. The roles need to be hands-on and practical to help students build their competencies.
"Everybody deserves to be an active part of their community," stated Mrs Knights, challenging perceptions. "It is easy to criticise people for not going out to work, but are we giving the opportunities for people to do what they are capable of doing?"
Businesses interested in supporting students from Chatten Free School are encouraged to email n.knights@chattenfreeschool.co.uk to discuss how they can contribute.
