Autistic boy's exam request 'ignored' by council

Nicky claims her son Joshua is the victim of discrimination

"I worked so hard to pass the test…I felt very upset," said Joshua, 10, after finding out he had not passed his 11+ exam.

His mum Nicky, from Hartley near Dartford, believes Joshua would have passed if Kent County Council (KCC) had followed his school's request to give him 25% more time due to his autism and ADHD diagnosis.

She said her son could take longer to process information, and accused KCC of ignoring professional advice.

KCC said the Kent Test followed equalities law and although an independent panel considered all evidence for special arrangements for children with additional needs, it did not automatically agree to every recommendation.

'Let down'

The authority added in a statement: "KCC's Kent Test is designed to be fair for all children taking part.

"If a child doesn't qualify for a grammar school place through the Kent Test, there is another chance through the Head Teacher Assessment."

When the MP for Tonbridge, Tom Tugendhat, raised Joshua's case with KCC, the authority said there was "no evidence" to show Joshua needed additional time in class or assessments among the information submitted by his school.

The email, seen by the BBC, added that the school had highlighted Joint Council for Qualifications guidance, but KCC argued the body was not the test provider, and the authority was not bound to follow it.

Nicky argues that her son has been let down by KCC

Nicky accused the authority of discrimination, and argued her son had been let down by KCC.

She is a Senco - a qualified teacher who is responsible for leading a school's provision for special educational needs - and argued if KCC wanted more information from the school they should have asked for it.

"By not giving the students 25% extra time - the ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and the ADHDers (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) - then you are not being inclusive for those students who actually have the diagnosis," she said.

"They can have [extra time] in GCSEs, they can have it in A Levels, they can have it in their degree. However, why can't they have it in the 11+?," she said.

Joshua said: "They should give people that need extra time extra time. But for them not giving me extra time, it's just a bit upsetting."

'Support to thrive'

Joey Nettleton Burrows, policy and public affairs manager at the National Autistic Society, said local authorities needed to listen to families, the child and teachers.

"They work with the child, they know what's best and they can give them the support they need to thrive," he said.

Jess Hendrickx, a neurodivergent assessor, trainer and published author based in East Sussex, is not surprised by Joshua's case, and believes more education is needed around what is reasonable to offer as an adjustment for neurodivergent children.

"We are living in a wonderful age of people talking about neurodivergence in a way that has never been spoken about in the past," she said.

"The more we talk about this the more inclusivity there will be in the future."

Nicky said she plans to appeal Joshua's Kent Test result.