Laurie
Laurie came to LVS Hassocks late in his secondary education arriving at the end of Year 10. But while his time with LVS Hassocks has been relatively short, it has provided him with an extremely positive experience – one that has equipped him well for his next steps into further education.
Laurie has benefitted greatly from being in a supportive, inclusive school environment.
“I was out of school for two years before going to a community college, but it’s so much better here. I find it a very calming place, with lots of support,” says Laurie, who mostly enjoys cooking and sometimes PE.
“I find it a very calming place, with lots of support.”
A love of cooking has seen Laurie excel within his Food Tech classes, so much so, he plans to join Brighton Met College to study catering. “I like cooking, especially making sweet things, which can be fun but also challenging, such as the chocolate souffles I recently made over the holidays at home. I also made my family burritos from scratch, which everyone enjoyed.
“LVS has really helped me develop my cooking skills. Although I did some cooking at my previous school, I didn’t get as much time as I needed. Mainstream school is very different to here and I would recommend LVS to anyone with difficulties. I wasn’t diagnosed with autism until Year 8 and I had been refusing to go to school, but since being here, I just want to keep on coming. Occasionally I have an off-day, but overall it’s good. I feel very supported and recognised for who I am.”
Laurie says that LVS Hassocks had given him both life-changing and positive experiences, ones that have left him feeling much happier and more confident about his future prospects.