A Leeds mum is “fuming” after her son was rejected from an academy as she believes it was due to his autism.
Kirsty Rose Hewkin, 35, is at her wit’s end as her son Tayler Hewkin, 14, has been out of school for about three years and she desperately wants to get him back into regular education. The Armley mother-of-two described 14+ Academies, part of Leeds City College, as “every parent’s dream” which made it an even bigger blow when his application to join the Year 10 intake was turned down.
14+ Academies, based at Park Lane Campus, offers an alternative environment to mainstream school with an emphasis on vocational subjects. So, while the academy isn’t a dedicated special educational needs (SEN) provision, the bulk of their intake at (66 per cent) this year were SEN pupils.
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Kirsty has alleged the school lied to her and Tayler after it rejected his application to enrol, telling them it was simply due to him picking Engineering as a vocational subject which was oversubscribed.
She’s questioned why he wasn’t offered any alternative subjects and claimed the school has “over-stretched” itself on the number of pupils in attendance, not allowing enough space for the most desperately in need of alternative education.
Kirsty, who has first-hand experience of the academy as her 17 year-old daughter used to attend it, is not convinced by its reasoning and has spoken of the family’s heartbreak. The 35-year-old, who works as a hairdresser, said: “I thoroughly believe without a doubt in my mind it’s because he’s autistic.
“He would have taken anything, at this stage we’re at now, he’d have taken flipping beauty! He was so hopeful. But now I’m having to deal with him that he’s upset.
“I didn’t see him for nearly 24 hours, he was really upset and disappointed. Once again, he’s questioning himself as a person. He’s been asking ‘Is it because of how I am?’ You don’t want to hear your children coming out with something like that, it’s not fair.”
14+ Academies has refuted claims Tayler was discriminated against, stating it is “saddened” by Tayler’s upset. A spokesperson added the academy, which only has 240 spaces in total, received more than 400 applications for the Year 10 intake alone and “simply do not have the funding” to offer more spaces.
Speaking of her son’s uphill battle with autism and the hope 14+ Academies inspired, Kirsty said: “We were so hopeful of this college, this was like a last resort. He’s meant to be doing his GCSEs and no school so far has accepted him into their SEN clusters to support him because they’re overrun.
“They’ve [14+ Academies] over-stretched themselves, spread themselves far too thinly. The academy every parent’s dream as their kids can cope in an educational environment that’s not too overbearing and stressful for them.
“I’m absolutely fuming, and I’m so upset for him because he deserves more. The matter needs to have a light shone on it so much as there are so many kids suffering.”
A life in turmoil
Kirsty said the pandemic had a devasting effect on Tayler’s autism, which occurred in the period that bridged primary and secondary school. She said his world was turned upside down after losing contact with old school friends and he found himself “physically unable” to attend the secondary school he was enrolled in.
When it became clear this was an ongoing issue and Tayler would be staying at home, Kirsty was forced to shut down her hairdressing salon Pin Up Emporium in Leeds city centre and work from home in order to look after him.
Kirsty has painted a harrowing picture of Tayler’s life, she described her shy son as a wannabe-chameleon who feels “constantly at risk” and hides away at all costs. He often sports a balaclava, sunglasses and a cap in a bid to hide his face from the public.
The mother of two has said the only education he’s received in the past three years has been one hour a week at Leeds Activity Centre in a small classroom all by himself since the beginning of May, where the time has to be split between an English and a Maths teacher.
This was set up by Leeds City Council, who she says initially wanted him to attend a mainstream school without the SEN support. It was originally intended to be merely a six-week temporary measure. Kirsty is unhappy with the level of support he has received.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are aware of this situation, and are committed to working in partnership with parents in the best interests of their children. We strive to meet the provision needs of all children and the aspirations of their parents and will continue working with the family to reach a suitable solution.”
Kirsty says she is "fighting" to get Tayler an Educational Healthcare Plan which will grant him entry into SEN schools. The court date is set for some time in November, the earliest Kirsty was able to get.
14+ Academies 'saddened'
Responding to Kirsty’s claims the academy was being disingenuous, lying about the reason his application was rejected, 14+ Academies has said it was “saddened” over Tayler’s upset. The academy said it “simply do not have the funding” to accept all that apply, especially for the engineering vocational course which only had 12 spots available.
A spokesperson added since it is part of a wider college group Leeds City College, it is funded differently to schools, which limits its funding. The 14+ Academies spokesperson said: “We have been lobbying the government extensively on this, alongside the Association of Colleges (AoC), as this is a national issue that we agree needs addressing.
“We are saddened that a student has been upset about not securing a place with us. This is exactly the reason why we have been lobbying in order to raise these issues nationally. We agree that it is not acceptable that there are not enough appropriate learning opportunities for young people who need an alternative to school. We will continue to campaign on this issue.”
