“We got our son back”: Birmingham school unit transforms teen’s life after years of struggle
A specialist school unit in Birmingham is being credited with “changing everything” for a teen who had been pushed out of multiple schools.
Last updated 23rd Mar 2026
The Year 10 pupil, who cannot be named for safeguarding reasons, is now back in full-time education at an alternative provision at Bournville School — designed for young people with additional needs who struggle in mainstream classrooms.
Speaking to us, he described how traditional lessons left him unable to cope.
“I was struggling with writing, sitting down for an hour… every single school I went to I was always looking for an excuse to get out because I had too much energy.”
Instead of long periods at a desk, lessons at the unit are more practical and interactive.
“You don’t sit down for an hour writing. You’re more standing up, moving around… we did this thing where we were like atoms colliding — it was actually really cool.”
The difference, he says, has been life-changing.
“It’s like a new me… instead of dreading every lesson, I’m happy after every lesson, excited for every lesson.”
Before joining the unit, he says he was regularly in trouble.
“I used to be a really bad behaved child… I had detention every day, but then still skipping it.”
Now, he says he feels like a completely different person “This school has changed my personality, my happiness — just the person I am in general.”
He also revealed he had struggled with his mental health, “I used to have a lot of really bad mental health issues… now I’ve come to this school, all the problems have disappeared like a click of your finger.”
His mum says the change has been just as dramatic at home.
“It’s brought out a completely different side to him… he went from struggling in every lesson and dreading it, to being happy.”
She described how the family felt they had “lost” him during his early secondary school years “I feel like we picked him up from school in Year 6 and we lost him… and now we’ve got him back.”
The impact has gone beyond education “Not only has it changed his life, it’s changed our lives as a family… I don’t dread it now. I don’t worry about him coming home frustrated — because he hasn’t got that frustration anymore.”
She believes the system failed to understand him earlier, “He was just seen as a naughty child… we didn’t understand it. We didn’t get it.”
It was only after a diagnosis last year that the family realised he needed a different approach.
“We just knew he needed something different. He needed a different structure.”
The unit is designed for students who are vulnerable or need a smaller, more supportive environment than mainstream classrooms can offer.
Pupils study core GCSE subjects including English, maths and science, alongside additional qualifications such as a Level 2 certificate in coaching sport and a diploma in skills for employment and personal development.
Before joining the unit, the student had been living with undiagnosed autism, which his family say contributed to his struggles in mainstream education.
Now, his strengths are finally being recognised — particularly in maths, “I’m gifted for maths… it only came out when I came here and was able to focus.”
He is also working towards a future career, studying hair and beauty “I’ve wanted to do barbering for ages… now I’ve got the opportunity, I’m taking it with both hands and I’m not failing.”
Teachers at the unit, he says, understand pupils in a way others didn’t “They notice things mainstream teachers wouldn’t… they’ll see if something’s wrong before it even happens.”
His mum says the staff have been key “If it weren’t for the team, I wouldn’t have my son back… they deserve so much credit.”
The alternative provision offers a mix of core GCSE subjects alongside vocational pathways, aiming to help students re-engage with education and move towards further training or employment.
For this family, the difference is simple “He’s brilliant… it’s been life-changing.”