Guest Post! Achieving In Education By Becky

At first, we weren’t entirely sure how well her needs could be supported or how many years this choice would work for her, so we committed to reviewing our decision regularly along the way. We found, though, we were pleasantly surprised by just how much the school and professional involved stepped up to help Scarlett truly belong, participate and learn right alongside everyone else.
 
We have felt incredibly lucky to have such a strong, consistent team gathered around Scarlett, all focused on helping her get the very most out of school life. Time and again, her teachers and support staff have thought creatively and “outside the box”, especially when it came to assessments.

Too often, people make quick assumptions about understanding and ability based only on first impressions or how a person communicates, but Scarlett’s team refused to let that happen. They found ways to let her show exactly how smart, capable, and thoughtful she really is.

A wonderful example came in Year 6, with careful adjustments, dedicated preparation, and determination from everyone involved, Scarlett sat her SATs and smashed them completely. That achievement did far more than earn great results, it challenged misconceptions and proved loud and clear her ability to learn and understand.
 
Beyond grades and tests, mainstream education opened up the everyday experiences that make school feel whole. Scarlett joined her classmates on school trips, built real friendships, enjoyed social time at break and lunch, earned her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, and celebrated her primary years at her Year 6 prom, moments that helped her grow in confidence, independence, and belonging.

Today, Scarlett is settled and thriving at mainstream secondary school, continuing to follow the curriculum and working steadily toward her GCSEs over the next couple of years. Central to every step of this journey is her communication, she confidently uses a mix of low‑tech aids and her eye‑gaze device, supported by committed, consistent communication partners who listen, adapt, and ensure her voice is always heard.

Above all, the biggest difference has come from having people around her who presume competence from day one and who are adaptable, inclusive, skilled in assisted technologies that fully believe in what she can achieve. Scarlett herself is such a determined, clever young person, she loves learning, relishes being stretched academically, and shows daily what is possible when barriers are removed and expectations are kept high.

Photo - Scarlett and her mum Becky on a recent visit to our on site coffee bar, along with Erika (left) and Shellie (right) from our Education Team.

Written by Becky, Scarlett's Mum (who is one of Footprints' Young Ambassadors)