Matthew who is diagnosed ADHD and ASC, started at TCES North West London in September 2020 but struggled in mainstream education. One of Matthew’s teachers, Miss Afia, encouraged him to do a presentation for his Level 2 Speaking & Listening exam on his dad’s business and that’s when he decided he wanted a business of his own.
TCES North West London school has café premises on the high street called The Hub which is open to the public. It is used by Post-16 students to gain work experience, and it also allows them to develop sustainable work-based learning skills.
Matthew decided to join The Hub to gain practical skills he could use to set up his own business. The school’s Post-16 lead Miss Irena trained Matthew as a barista and in customer service. Matthew enjoyed the experience so much he decided to start his own coffee van business, Matt’s Café.
Matthew explains: “My desire to start my own business, and my enjoyment of serving coffee at the Hub led me to start a coffee van business. I started selling coffee in my van at local car boot sales, as I had a lot of experience working at car boot sales with my family. Miss Irena, and the post-16 team at North West London School supported me to get the qualifications I needed to make my business succeed. They supported me to get a Level 2 qualification for Food & Hygiene in catering.
“The experience and support that I’ve received at the Post-16 Hub has been so helpful. It has been beneficial to my coffee business as I have real experience from the school, that I can transfer to my business and make it thrive.”
Steven Speck, Headteacher of TCES North West London said: “The reason we do what we do is to transform the lives of young people like Matthew. When he came to us he lacked confidence and was struggling to find a place where he could unlock his true potential. At TCES we never give up on a child and Matthew is shining example of how those often branded with negative labels because of they are neurodivergent can thrive in the right learning environment with the right support.”
“We are very proud of Matthew and grateful that we have been able to play a part in giving Matthew the skills, confidence and belief that he can be a successful business owner in his own right. The Hub is a fantastic facility for our learners and also for the wider community and this shows the positive impact it can have.”
As well as running his successful coffee van business, Matthew is continuing to study at TCES North West London towards a BTEC Level 3 Digital media, OCR level 1 Web Design, GCSE Maths, GCSE Science, GCSE Biology and BTEC Home Cooking Level 2.