Age At Time Of Cellfield: 17 years 9 months
Reasons For Completing Cellfield:
Roberta struggled throughout KS1 & 2 with her physical health and learning. At school, she had 1:1 support and was listed as School Action Plus but felt that she was not given the time and help for her to be able to learn in a way that she understood.
Roberta missed quite a bit of school due to medical appointments and illness and this further impeded her development. At the age of 9 Roberta had a head injury which led to a conversation at school where it was suggested that her parent(s) moved her to a special school and if they didn’t that they shouldn’t expect her to achieve anything academically.
At that time Roberta was not able to read fluently and was struggling with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Her short-term memory had been damaged due to a series of prolonged epileptic seizures, and she was further struggling with sensory issues affecting her eyesight and hearing.
Roberta was then home-schooled and supported by a 1:1 teacher including the Kip McGrath Centre in Scunthorpe. After illness had set Roberta further back when she was 16, it was decided that she would undertake the Cellfield Program. Roberta did Cellfield over 5 days, which was very intense and tiring but she felt the benefits immediately.
Parent and Student Comments:
The results were incredible, Roberta’s reading age improved by 5 years in one week. She said that “it felt as though the fog had cleared” and she was so overjoyed with being able to read to herself and enjoy books that she wept. Roberta has gone from strength to strength and is now studying for a degree in Dance and dance teaching. “I want to teach and perform with people, from all walks of life, and make dance accessible to all. So that people can forget for a moment their health issues, struggles, and difficulties. I’ve struggled with people telling me that I won’t be able to achieve but thanks to Cellfield and the amazing support and encouragement I’ve had, I’m proving that anyone can reach for their dreams”.
Results:
Immediate results post-treatment:
Word identification improved from 12.7yrs to 19.0yrs
Word attack from 10.0yrs to 14.4yrs
Passage comprehension improved from 8.5yrs to 15.1yrs
Progressed from Foundation/Entry Level Maths Pass to GCSE Grade 7, English Grade 4, and has taken a short course in Shakespeare with the Royal Scottish Conservatoire. Went on to study an Extended Diploma Level 3 in UAL Production and Performing Arts.
Current Education/Career Status:
First-year undergraduate at the University of Lincoln studying a BA (Hons) in Dance and Level 4 IDTA dance teaching (ballet). As of July 2023, she has passed her first year.