A student instructed by her former university that she would hardly ever pass her GCSEs has gained a spot at a single of the UK’s leading art universities.
Ella McEwan experienced been informed that continuing her instruction was futile due to her extreme dyslexia but she will now examine at the College of the Arts London Chelsea Higher education of Art and Design.
The 18-yr-old reached 3 D*s – the equal of 3 A*s at A-level – in her BTEC artwork and structure system at Millfield Higher education in Somerset.
The university explained to her she had submitted the finest portfolio they had noticed this 12 months.
Miss McEwan, from Monmouth in Wales, joined the school in Yr 9 and has benefited from supplemental help to assistance with her incapacity.
“The teachers go out of their way to assistance you. The department has specified me the assurance to be relaxed remaining myself and with my dyslexia, as there is nonetheless very a stigma encompassing finding out discrepancies,” she claimed.
“They have also helped put me ahead for pursuits these as speaking on webinars about my individual knowledge as a dyslexic, to suggesting to just take the BTEC art and structure course at sixth type. I have beloved every minute of it.”
The teenager tackled the school’s training entire body for the duration of inset schooling previous 12 months, offering them an trustworthy account about what it is like to be dyslexic and how they can adapt their instructing to enable students.
Dyslexia should really never ever be seen as a disability that will maintain an individual back, it is a superpower that those men and women can harness as they see matters in a distinct way that other folks may not
Gavin Horgan, headmaster, Millfield Faculty
Headmaster Gavin Horgan said: “Ella is the ideal instance of somebody who has overcome adversity to reach their desires.
“Her story is a impressive one of challenging perform, resilience and perseverance.
“Dyslexia must in no way be considered as a disability that will maintain an individual back again, it is a superpower that those persons can harness as they see things in a distinctive way that other people may perhaps not.
“The United kingdom training procedure need to be championing dyslexic pondering capabilities and adapting instructing solutions that would eventually aid each youngster in the classroom, not writing them off at an early age.
“To see Ella go on to analyze at one particular of the UK’s prime artwork universities is amazing and vastly deserved.”