Grade 9 Spanish Pupil Refused Birkenhead Sixth Form Place 2026

Key Points

• 17-year-old Finley Lamb, from Wallasey, scored Grade 9 in his GCSE Spanish but was turned down an A-Level spot at Birkenhead Sixth Form College after his failure in Maths.
• Mother Sara O’Donnell made a Freedom of Information request, which shows 199 instances of exemptions from entry requirements over four academic years.
• College principal Rob Myatt assured that “entry requirements are applied in a consistent way to all candidates” but there will be “appropriate professional discretion taken in individual cases.”
• Despite having periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH), autism and severe scoliosis, Finley managed to pass seven GCSEs, scoring top grade in Spanish.
• Birkenhead Sixth Form College is listed in Finley’s Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), which his mother believes makes the college legally obliged to accept Finley.
• Ms O’Donnell is exploring “all avenues of complaint,” and demanding some flexibility for SEND students who have difficulty in the unrelated subject.

Birkenhead (Liverpool standard) October 03, 2026 — A disabled teenager who achieved the highest possible grade in his chosen GCSE subject has been refused admission to study that subject at A-Level after failing to meet the college’s Maths requirement, prompting his mother to challenge whether entry policies are being applied fairly.

What happened to Finley Lamb at Birkenhead Sixth Form College?

Finley Lamb, 17, from Wallasey, had been preparing to study Spanish at A-Level at Birkenhead Sixth Form College after securing Grade 9 the top mark in GCSE Spanish. However, the college withdrew its offer after Finley failed to achieve a pass in GCSE Maths, according to reporting by the Wirral Globe.

Birkenhead Sixth Form states that young people must achieve passes in both Maths and English Language to continue their studies at the institution, regardless of performance in other subjects. The college’s published entry requirements specify five GCSEs including Maths and English, with a minimum of three at Grade 4 and two at Grade 5, plus additional subject-specific criteria.

What did Finley’s mother say about the college’s decision?

As reported by journalists at the Wirral Globe, Sara O’Donnell said: “Finley deserves the chance to build on his strengths rather than have his future defined by his weakest subject”. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she is making the case public because “it’s really unfair that someone who has overcome so much in his life, worked really hard and got a Grade 9”.

Ms O’Donnell added: “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to find a solution that involves him studying Spanish at A-Level if he got a 9. It just seems madness to me”. She stated she is “pursuing all avenues of complaint, because I don’t think this is okay”.

How many entry exceptions has Birkenhead College made?

Dissatisfied with the college’s position, Ms O’Donnell submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to determine how many students had been accepted onto courses at Birkenhead Sixth Form College despite not meeting the stated entry requirements.

The FOI results showed that in the past four academic years, 199 “exceptions” to the college’s entry requirements have been made. After reviewing the findings, Ms O’Donnell told the LDRS: “Now the obvious question is, if you’ve made 199 exceptions before, why haven’t you made an exception in this case?”

She continued:

“The wording of the letter said ‘published entry requirements are applied consistently to all applicants.’ Well then that doesn’t make sense to me, I’m confused”.

Ms O’Donnell said that while she had suspected other students were accepted without meeting requirements, “to see it in black and white is different”.

What is the college’s response to the FOI findings?

In a letter to Ms O’Donnell, the college’s principal, Rob Myatt, insisted the entry requirements are “applied consistently to all applicants”. Responding to the FOI results and Ms O’Donnell’s concerns, Mr Myatt said:

“The College applies its entry requirements consistently, while exercising appropriate professional judgement where individual circumstances warrant it”.

He added:

“However, there are necessary limits to that discretion. Having considered the applicant’s circumstances in full, we remain satisfied that this was the appropriate educational decision”.

Mr Myatt further stated:

“The account presented publicly does not reflect all the relevant information, however, our responsibility to protect the applicant’s confidentiality means that we cannot disclose the details that informed our decision”.

What are Finley’s medical conditions and educational achievements?

Finley lives with the rare brain development disorder periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH), is autistic and has severe scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Despite doctors fearing he may never walk or talk properly when he was born, Finley attended mainstream Woodchurch High School and walked to school every day.

He passed seven GCSEs, including the Grade 9 in Spanish, his favourite subject. According to reporting by the Mirror, his mother claims Finley was initially offered a place on the course despite the sixth form knowing he was expected to fail Maths, but his spot was later withdrawn after he officially received a U grade.

Finley told the LDRS that not being able to study A-Level Spanish had been “frustrating”. He said: “When I had my induction day at the college, I made two or three friends and I’ve had to message them and be like ‘sorry I don’t think I can come'”. His mother added: “He’s been sad. Really sad”.

What legal obligations does the college have regarding EHCP students?

According to earlier reporting by the Wirral Globe, Ms O’Donnell argues that the college, which is named on Finley’s Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), has a legal duty to admit him and could provide “reasonable adjustments” for students with special educational needs. She says the council has refused to direct the college to accept Finley, despite having a legal obligation to do so, because the college is named on his EHCP as his education provider.

Ms O’Donnell stated:

“What we are asking is whether there should be some flexibility where a young person has SEND, where there is a clear pattern of strengths and where the subject that is causing the difficulty is not relevant to their intended progression”.

The college’s admissions policy documents state it is “fully committed to fair and equal treatment for all applicants regardless of disability” and operates an Additional Learning Support service for students with disclosed disabilities.

Background of the Birkenhead College admissions development

This case emerged in September 2026 when Finley’s GCSE results were published, with the story gaining wider coverage after the FOI results were released in early October 2026. Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s entry requirements specify that students need five GCSEs including passes in Maths and English Language, with additional subject-specific grades for A-Level courses.

The college’s admissions policy states it makes “reasonable adjustments to ensure that students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are able to access” the institution, with individual learning programmes that “may mean they take fewer subjects or may take longer to complete their course”. Applications from students with EHCPs are held until Local Authority consultation is received, according to the college’s online application guidance.

The 199 exceptions revealed through the FOI request span four academic years, averaging approximately 50 exceptions per year, though the college has not disclosed the specific circumstances under which these exceptions were granted.

Prediction: How this development may affect SEND students and families in Wirral

This case could prompt increased scrutiny of sixth form college admissions policies regarding students with special educational needs and disabilities across the Wirral and potentially wider Merseyside region. Families with SEND children may now be more likely to submit FOI requests to examine whether entry requirements are being applied consistently, following Ms O’Donnell’s approach.

The situation may encourage local authorities to provide clearer guidance on how colleges should balance entry requirements against EHCP obligations, particularly where a student’s struggling subject is unrelated to their intended course of study. Sixth form colleges may face pressure to publish more transparent criteria for when exceptions to entry requirements are granted, especially for disabled applicants.

For students like Finley, the outcome could influence whether other institutions named on EHCPs adopt more flexible approaches to subject-specific requirements where students demonstrate exceptional ability in their chosen field. The case highlights ongoing tensions between maintaining academic standards and providing reasonable adjustments under equality legislation, which may shape future admissions discussions for SEND students throughout the region.