“Wow. Do they really think that about me? I feel amazing.”
This is 39-year-old Gail Twist and her 11-year-old son Ben. They live in St Helens, Merseyside.
Ben is autistic and attends Lansbury Bridge School. His mum says he’s a hardworking student.
Twist told BuzzFeed News that when her son failed his end of year exams the school sent him a letter that moved her to tears.
In it, the headteacher Mrs Clarkson wrote: “A very important piece of information I want you to understand is that these tests only measure a little bit of you and your abilities. They are important and you have done so well but Ben Twist is made up of many other skills and talents that we at Lansbury Bridge see and measure in other ways.”
Some of Ben’s strengths she highlighted was his growing independence, kindness, and the ability to make and keep friends. The headteacher ended her letter with the words, ‘Well done Ben, we are very proud of you” and a smiley face.