Presentation

It was just a few steps.

My daughter was one of 25 or so pupils who were being honoured at a school presentation evening.

She and I were sitting in the first row, because we’d got there half an hour early. (I’d got the start time wrong because I’d accidentally read last year’s letter on my email instead of this year’s. My girl will definitely harp on about this until, possibly right up to and beyond next year’s event. Sometimes I am an utter idiot).

All sixth form pupils from her special school (with some leavers from last term who had now gone on to college) were getting certificates.

All have special needs of some description. Of many descriptions.

All were getting recognition for passing various courses, from entry level English and Maths, to Land Management, and a plethora of subjects in between.

All of them took a few steps up to the front of the hall to get a handshake, a posh folder, their certificates, and a round of applause. (Well, all except one, who couldn’t cope with standing up in front of a crowd, so was handed it while he hid behind a door).

My girl got a couple of Retail unit awards and an Employability Skills award from her day release college course, plus Gold and Titanium Work Experience certificates, for her continuing placement at a local spa.

She heard her name called, and stood up, awkwardly, shyly. She shook hands with the teacher, smiled for her photo, and clutched her blue folder.

I looked at her face, and the faces of these kids, these kids I’ve seen grow up over the past few years, and I thought about how far they’ve come. 

It was way, way beyond a few steps.

Video is Madness - One Step Beyond

Beyond

The rain was pelting down. But she had a sturdy pair of walking boots on and a tough waterproof mac. And a bag with loads of changes of clothes in.

The coach was taking her and 18 other special school students on an NCS (National Citizen Service) residential trip to Staffordshire. It's a David Cameron Big Society thingy (remember that?) which sounds a bit like the Hitler Youth, but I think is more kind of Duke Of Edinburgh-lite. (Dear God, David Cameron, Hitler and Prince Philip in the same sentence, there's an Unholy Trinity if ever I've heard one).

I went for a swim after dropping her off (in readiness for my upcoming Swimathon for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK) and by the time I got out I had four answerphone messages and two texts from her. The lockers must have been echoing to the sound of my ringtone, One Step Beyond. Had I packed her retainers? The answer she needed to hear was, thankfully, yes.

I later got a call from the school's Acting Head. It had transpired that some kind of double booking issue meant that they weren't going to the venue they had planned, and in fact had ended up going to somewhere in Kent instead. Quite how the school staff managed to get 19 kids with special needs and anxiety issues to take that in their stride, I don’t know. But, apparently, they did. 

So she’s there, and by now she’ll be tucked up in bed, fast asleep and knackered, and she’ll be doing all sorts of team bonding, independence skill-improving things over the next two days before returning home on Tuesday. Probably with a bag full of someone else’s clothes, hair matted with shampoo she’s not managed to wash out properly, and ready to sleep for a week.

Good luck, my girl.

Video is Madness - One Step Beyond
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