Family outraged as boy with special needs and 'overwhelmed' by mum's terminal cancer diagnosis is excluded from school

Zack Nicholls, 15, from Chesterfield has ADHD, autism and Pathological Demand Avoidance. After graduating from Holly House Special School last Academic year, in September he started attending mainstream school Outwood Hasland Hall Academy to prepare for his GSCEs. For the first few months the family said everything was going well - the school was following Zack’s Education, Health and Care plan and he was taken out on daily sensory walks.

But everything changed just before Christmas when Zack’s mum Corina was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given less than two years to live. Zack’s sister, Jessica, 24, said: “Zack is devastated. We all are as we are a very close family. Mum got ill in September and doctors thought she had a stroke. She continued feeling worse and they suspected it was a bleed on the brainor a haemorrhage. In December, she was rushed into hospital and we were told it was brain cancer and that it was terminal. For a while, there was just me and my mum and we have a very close relationship. Hearing that she has got a terminal brain tumour was awful.”

Corina, a mum of five, had to undergo urgent brain surgery which has left her struggling to speak. She was given chemotherapy in Sheffield and soon her family was told she only has between 12 and 18 months left to live. Zack’s family informed Outwood Hasland Hall Academy about the circumstances and explained the impact of the situation on Zack, who was very upset. Jessica said soon phone calls from the school started, asking the family to pick up Zack and complaining about his behaviour.

She said: “On one occasion he didn’t want to go back to the classroom because he was overwhelmed. We were in Sheffield with mum as she was getting treatment when the school rang my stepdad and asked him to pick up Zack. We explained we were in Sheffield and said we can be there in an hour. The school was demanding that he get him to pick him up straight away because he was walking around outside and they said they didn't know what to do. They are ringing us a few times a week now and say they don’t know how to handle Zack. He gets exclusions, we attend meetings and the situation keeps repeating. It’s a permanent cycle. I feel sad for Zack. He is really upset about mum and now he doesn’t understand why he keeps getting excluded. He is not aggressive, he is not ripping the classroom up, he is just very overhelmed. He doesn’t understand why they don't want him at school.”

Outwood Academy Hasland Hall declined to comment on Zack's exclusions.

Principal Ian Cooper said: "We are not at liberty to comment on individual student circumstances, however, we can assure parents and carers that we do everything possible to meet the requirements of Education, Health and Care Plans. Due to the complex and specific nature of these plans, we work closely with parents, carers and all other relevant parties to ensure that students have access to a provision which best meets their needs."