Gracie's story

Gracie arrived at Hanley having struggled with anxiety in mainstream education. In her 2022 exams Gracie achieved passes in English and Maths functional skills and entry level qualifications. A keen singer, she’s planning to go to college and hopes to have a career in art or music but is also considering working with animals.

Tracy Whitehurst Head Teacher at Aurora Hanley said: “Gracie arrived at Aurora Hanley at the start of the academic year having struggled with anxiety in mainstream education. Despite this she has achieved qualifications in all her subjects - which is a fantastic representation of how well she has settled and how her confidence has improved, as she continues on her pathway towards a creative course in the future.”

Gracie reflected: “I didn’t fit in at my old school. I felt they didn’t understand me, so it’s made a huge difference to me coming here and I’m much happier,” she says. “The staff are supportive, the classes are smaller and there’s no uniform. I especially like Feel Good Fridays when we get the chance to do fun activities and go on outside visits.”