CASE STUDIES

Names have been changed for reasons of confidentiality

Andy

Andy is third out of four children. His two older brothers are both drug addicts and live a life of crime, spending their lives in and out of prison. His father is a violent man and Andy and his mother and younger sister had to move from an inner-city estate to a rural village to escape him. Mother, who is barely literate, was in Care from age 11 to 16, living in secure accommodation. During this time she suffered a range of abuses so as soon as she was 16 she married in order to get out, and quickly became pregnant. There followed a long line of abusive relationships so it is little wonder that her parenting skills are not what they could be. In spite of his difficult home life, Andy stood out as a lively child who was bursting with enthusiasm and he came to the attention of the local Vicar who befriended the family and eventually made contact with educational trusts.

Andy struggled academically and was also bullied in school because of his accent. His best friend suffered from Leukaemia and during the last few months of his life Andy went daily to his house to spend time playing or talking. When his friend died Andy was a great comfort to his friend’s mother, and raised money for a Leukaemia charity by shaving his head. The bullying at school escalated and after a particularly nasty ambush followed by a beating he was hospitalized. The police became involved and he was then ostracized for being a ‘grass’, and his bicycle tyres were slashed. This was the last straw and drove him to go home and hang himself. Luckily a neighbour came in and managed to cut Andy down before he sustained fatal injuries. He was treated for depression and diagnosed with PTSD, and the psychologist felt that with his family background and traumatic school experience Andy would benefit from attending a caring boarding school.

JET were approached by the Vicar and, together with other educational trusts, put together a package to enable Andy to attend a boarding prep school, and from there he moved on to a senior school where he is about to sit his GCSEs.

Rosie

Rosie is nine. She was born with a very serious disease, which meant that she had to have her kidneys removed. She now has one kidney (from her father) and has to go to the hospital every day to make sure that her kidney is working properly. Rosie has other medical problems and will never be fully well. She is also very small, and very delicate.

Because Rosie has had such a bad time she is very behind with her school work. She needs special help. Rosie also found life very difficult in a large school with hundreds of children. She really could not cope. So it was decided to try and send Rosie to a small independent day school where there would not be too many children, more teachers and someone with medical training. Rosie's mother, a single parent, could not afford the fees because she had to give up her job to look after Rosie. So JET helps.

Rosie is very brave, and tries very hard at school. She is also very cheerful! Rosie's teachers are full of admiration of her, and although Rosie never does very well academically she receives excellent school reports.

Ian

Ian is eleven. Both his parents are aphasic. Ian’s father is also deaf, and his mother is partially paralysed down one side. Ian’s father holds down a job as a lorry driver, but both of them find parenting hard, and Ian’s grandmother asked JET for help to fund boarding school.

Ian is affectionate and kind, but is suffering increasingly because of his parents’ disability and his inadequate home and social environment. Ian also has his own problems: he is dyslexic and dyspraxic, and suffers from concentration, processing and presentation problems.

Ian had been a day boy at his school for some time, but escalating problems at home are affecting his ability to learn, and he needed to board. Ian’s grandmother had been paying day fees, but could not afford boarding too. JET has helped with a grant of £1500 per annum, and persuaded the school to give a bursary. JET will continue to support Ian for two more years, when he moves outside our age range.