Tina sat up and looked at Kevin thoughtfully. Was he for real? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. ‘I beg your pardon, Mr Grey, but this school has got a great Ofsted report. We change students’ lives here, so whatever you have heard isn’t right. We work hard to help every child that comes here. In all schools you have the same problems if you care to do your research.’

Kevin stepped up a level. ‘Fuck research. I know what I can see. Ged won’t be coming back here. He’ll get a job or something if he can’t go back to normal school. He needs to make something of himself. I have few mates in the building trade who can hook him up with something. That’s all he needs.’

Tina opened her eyes wide. ‘I take it you work then?’ Kevin looked awkward and Tina smirked. ‘Is that the trade you’re in?’

‘Erm, no. I’m just sorting myself out and then I’ll find work. Anyway, it’s not about me, it’s about my boy.’

‘Ged needs to finish his exams. He needs good grades to get a decent job. If he stays here he’s got the best chance of sitting those exams and getting the kind of grades that will give him options in the future.’

Kevin slammed his hand on the table causing the pieces of paper to go flying. ‘Are you on the same planet as me, love, or what? You’re not getting it, are you. I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. Ged is not coming back to this shithole of a school. I’ll find him work and sort him out. If he needs to take exams then I’ll bring him back for them, but apart from that over my dead body is he stepping foot through this door again. It’s simple as.’ He was going for gold.

Tina took a few seconds to digest what he had said. ‘All I can say is that if you pull him out of education then you can expect to be fined and taken to court. You and your wife have a legal obligation to your son to make sure he goes to school. But, if that’s what you want to do then so be it. I have told you what the consequences are and if you want to end up in court then it’s up to you. Personally, I think going back to court and mixing with the justice system after you’ve just come out of jail won’t look too good for you, but, if you think you know the law better than me then my hands are tied.’