News of Old Girls
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Helen Mary Jones 1971-74? - the good and bad of CCHS (and education, in general)...
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Helen has been a member of Plaid Cymru for many years and at one time was the Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services in the National Assembly, but for decades she has grappled with dyspraxia and dyslexia, frequently hiding her condition, fearing it “somehow reflected on my intelligence or my ability to do my job.” Dyspraxia affects co-ordination, balance and spatial awareness and sufferers were once, and still are, dismissed as being clumsy.
She was born in Colchester and attended CCHS but her dyslexia made her teachers think that she was lazy and her dyspraxia in practical lessons such as science and PE was a nightmare. Initially it was not a happy time for her but this changed when the new headmistress came and realised something was wrong, discussing it with her form mistress and immediately Helen felt much better. An educational psychologist was brought in to test her and her problems were diagnosed.
Not long after this the family moved to Llanfair Caereinion, in Powys, and Helen attended a less pressurised local comprehensive where she thrived. She was given additional time for examinations and a letter accompanied her papers explaining the situation. She was offered a place at Aberystwyth University to study English but it was not a success as the university, although being told of her condition, did little to help and she was removed at the end of her first year. She nearly didn’t return but the history professor asked her to do a history degree, which she did and didn’t look back!
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