Celebration

Our Ali has bern ill with ME/CFS for 18 years and has missed her education. Through her own efforts she has now passed her third GCSE, this time in French achieving an eight. She was four marks off a nine. She had no teaching and simply learnt it herself with the help of Duolingo. Last year she passed English Language with a seven and Maths the year before with a 9*. In September she hoped to attrnd collrge two sessions a week which she hopes will provide an entry into a university course. Wr took her to a Greek restaurant to celebrate. When she was 13 she was on the UKs Gifted and Talented register which only the top 5% of children were on. She would have almost certainly gained an Oxbridge place but regretfully it wasn't to be. Just finding an educational establishment that would allow her to sit tje French exam was a struggle. She tried our local High School, Newcastle University, Northumberland County Council, University of Northumberland and many other places without success. It was the Austin Friars public school in Carlisle who believed in her and were absolutely fabulous with their support. They charged only the exam fee but were very supportive through phone call help and tuituon.