Young Person’s Voice
A Dream Come True... Lisa Murphy interviews Melissa Acar This is the story of a brave, courteous, beautiful, resilient Turkish woman - Melissa Acar. She has learning difficulties with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan). She attended Hackney mainstream schools from Nursery to 6th Form. I first met her and her family at Cardinal Pole School in 2017, when she was 17 years old. She said: “My dream and aspiration is to study sociology at a Russell Group University.” There could be Nothing about Melissa, without Melissa.
She appealed this decision and her family requested HLT name CPS in Part I of her EHC plan. HLT named CPS who broke the Law by refusing to admit her. They turned her away from the school, even when accompanied by Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) Officer. The Head Teacher threatened the police be called. The Local Authority (LA) consulted with another 6th form without Melissa or her family’s consent. They put pressure on them to accept the place, which they refused. Her older sister, Ozge, especially supported her when Melissa was collapsing physically and mentally under the strain. The family took the case to the Appeal Court which ruled she must attend CPS. They were forced to admit Melissa into their 6th Form. Melissa began there hoping to be allowed to study with the adjustments she needed.
Melissa was awarded an SEN Statement of Need by Hackney Learning Trust (HLT) in Year 3. She transferred to Clapton Girls (Year 7), who said they were unable to meet her needs, so she went to City Academy for Year 8, where she achieved GCSE grades to go further. She applied to Cardinal Pole School (CPS) for 6th form but was refused because she had SEND. CPS stated her needs could not be met, thereby demonstrating their discriminatory Melissa worked hard to catch up the 6 months she attitude to Disabled students. had missed, while being continually obstructed by some staff and the Head Teacher. She was not given the adjustments she needed and was wrongly accused of copying others’ work by the Head Teacher. Her peers supported her throughout, including signing a petition to the Head Teacher asking her to stop the victimizing of their friend. Melissa had no opportunity to defend herself. She was forcibly dropped from her course, stating: ‘’My integrity is damaged…blamed for plagiarism and removed unfairly. Pupils with EHCP should be allowed to study in nearest 6th form.’’ Melissa and her family went to the Tribunal for SENDIST. They won.
Image: Melissa Acar outside the University of Bristol
After a 2-day hearing where the school was legally represented, the Tribunal stated: “The Tribunal found that Cardinal Pole Catholic School had unlawfully discriminated against Melissa by failing to make reasonable adjustments for her disability, despite knowing that Melissa was Disabled.
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