Grantham father fights for remote learning at Grantham College after daughter’s health setback sparks dispute

The father of a Grantham teenager with serious health issues claims a college is not doing enough to accommodate his daughter's needs.

Pete Russell's daughter, Chloe, who has a severe sight impairment and other disabilities, was enrolled at Grantham College to pursue a Level 3 course in health and social sciences.

Chloe, 19, has a number of complex medical conditions, including neurofibromatosis type 1, which causes tumours to grow along the nerves, and a brain stem tumour that is monitored regularly.

Registered as severely sight impaired, Chloe also has May-Thurner syndrome, a rare vascular condition affecting a pelvic vein.

Due to these conditions, Chloe has been in and out of hospital since Year 8. Despite a 410-day hospital two years ago, she was determined to continue her studies and began her latest term in September.

Unfortunately, her health has suffered setbacks, including a 66-week stay at Queen’s Medical Centre, followed by eight weeks for a bowel blockage and infections.

Mr Russell, of Brandon Close, Gonerby Hill Foot, says that Grantham College has not made reasonable adjustments for Chloe’s disabilities, insisting on face-to-face meetings and requiring her to attend college three days a week, which he argues could breach the Equality Act 2010.

He believes that remote learning options, such as accessible PowerPoint presentations and lecture notes, should be provided so Chloe can continue her education while recovering.

He notes that remote learning during Covid-19 set a precedent for such arrangements.

Mr Russell describes his daughter as "bright as a button" and says she embarrassed hospital pharmacists by knowing her medication inside out.

“It feels like Grantham College, in my eyes, have already made the decision that they're going to write Chloe off, and that's why they're taking the route that they're taking.

“She was written off by her comprehensive school because she was in hospital for over a year, but she put herself through her GCSEs.”

Despite spending a large amount of time in hospital, she passed five GCSEs on her own by studying in her own time.

"She's been written off too easily by many institutions," said Mr Russell.

Mr Russell has questioned how the college has allocated funding for Chloe, noting that his daughter has not seen any benefit.

Mr Russell claims his formal complaints have been ignored.

He involved an ombudsman, CAVA, and Lincolnshire County Council.

Lincolnshire County Council said it believed Mr Russell’s request was “reasonable”.

Katie Marsden, head of SEND, said: “We’ve met with Chloe and her family to discuss their concerns and have also made contact with Grantham College to discuss the possibility of her attending online.

“We believe this is a reasonable request, and we are now arranging a meeting with the college so we can look to resolve any issues which might be preventing this. We will keep Chloe and her family informed as things progress.”

Despite the issues, Chloe’s parents believe Grantham College would be the best option for her to study at due to the proximity to their workplaces, and say that alternatives such as homeschooling would be less ideal.

However, Mr Russell has said he is prepared to pursue legal action if necessary to ensure Chloe receives the support and accommodations she is entitled to under the Equality Act 2010.

He is also considering escalating the matter to his local MP and the Department for Education, believing Chloe has been treated unfairly.

Grantham College has refused to comment on the situation, stating: “We do not comment on individual students.”

CAVA also refused to comment on the case, saying: “Our organisation does not provide comments on individual complaints or investigations. We ensure that colleges have appropriate appeals and complaints policies and that they are implemented appropriately. Beyond that, we do not discuss specific cases other than with the directly involved parties.”