STUDENTS at a special school in Thornbury are celebrating the development of their skills to become a representative voice for young people with disabilities across South Gloucestershire.

Since Christmas, the Sapphire class at New Siblands School has worked with representatives from children’s charity Barnardo’s and South Gloucestershire Council’s community learning disabilities team to develop their communication skills and take part in a range of smaller projects

The group of nine pupils between 11 and 15-years-old, who live with a range of serious disabilities, worked on their abilities to make choices and tell people what they think starting with designing t-shirts to even developing a personal specification and interview questions which they were then able to use in an interview to employ a new assistant psychologist.

Sapphire class teacher Craig Tucker said: “I think it is great for the students to see how they have developed in confidence and worked on something with actual purpose.

“They have been doing something important, not just for them but for others, and it is equally as important that we recognise that.”

At a celebration event last Friday, the Sapphire class gave a demonstration to parents and staff of the range of projects and activities they had been involved with.

After the showcase, each of the pupils was presented with a certificate of achievement by Thornbury’s mayor, Cllr Helen Harrison.

Cllr Harrison said: “This project has been fantastic for these students at New Siblands to speak out themselves, rather than allowing someone else to speak out for them.”