School failed pupil over entrance exam

By Sunil Peck

A school failed to make any adjustments to help a pupil with autism who was sitting its 11-plus entrance exam, the local government ombudsman has found.

Campaigners described the case as a “terrible indictment” of the struggle faced by disabled pupils in mainstream education.

The King's School, a grammar school in Grantham, Lincolnshire, had acted on advice from a consortium of local grammar schools, which said it did not need to make any adjustments for the pupil because he did not have a statement of special educational needs.

But he became so upset during the exam that he could not see the paper.

He failed the exam, and his mother appealed against the school's decision to refuse him a place.

The ombudsman’s report found that the school had failed to consider its duties under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and relevant codes of practice.

And it said an appeal panel hearing into the case had also failed to consider those duties.

The pupil was eventually given a place in another grammar school on the basis of his SATS results and his junior school’s recommendation.

The King's School has now apologised to the boy and his mother, and given them a £50 gift token as compensation.

It has also agreed to tell the parents of future applicants how to raise potential disability issues before their child sits the 11-plus examination, and improve the way it deals with future cases.

Tara Flood, director of the Alliance for Inclusive Education, said the case highlighted the need for a national body to monitor the implementation of the disability equality duty in schools.

She said: "This case is a terrible indictment of what a struggle it still is for parents and young people to find an education in an inclusive education system."

No-one from the school was available to comment.