An autistic teenager who tragically died days after transitioning from school to college was a "gifted artist", an inquest has heard.
Aylish Louise Stewart died at the University Hospital of North Durham on March 8 last year after she was found hanging at her home in Ushaw Moor, County Durham. An inquest into the 17-year-old's death heard how Aylish, who had autism, ADHD and anxiety, had attended Durham Trinity School in Durham for around five years and had a placement three days a week at Misty Blue Farm in Spennymoor.
Preparations then began for her to transition to Thornbeck College in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, on March 1 last year. The inquest, which is being held at Durham & Darlington Coroner's Court in Crook, heard how following her transfer, Aylish did not want to go to college.
Read more: County Durham teenager, 17, died just days after transitioning from school to college
She became anxious and missed Joanne Haswell, a staff member who she worked with on a one-to-one basis at Durham Trinity School - which focuses on educating pupils with autism or profound, moderate, severe or complex learning difficulties. On the second day of the inquest, Rachael Grimwood, the headteacher of Durham Trinity School, gave evidence, and explained that Aylish needed to be transferred to Thornbeck College in order to progress further and fulfil her education needs.
Thornbrook College would have been "providing the full package" for Aylish and a more "adult type of education", the inquest was told. Mrs Grimwood said Aylish was a creative person who loved animals and had a connection with dogs but that Trinity was no longer educating her and that she needed to be prepared for adult life.
Mrs Grimwood said she had known Aylish "through her difficult times and also through her good times", and that she was heavily involved in communications with her mum regarding safeguarding.
Speaking of the transition, she said: "Academically we were not meeting her needs. She was working at entry level and her social skills had developed.
"She was very creative and a gifted artist. She drew one of my dogs and captured the character of my dog, she was a really great talent. We wanted to capitalise on that and find her the next setting and where she could develop."
The inquest heard that Aylish had "a lot of potential academically" and that she had a "bespoke curriculum" whilst at Trinity.
Senior Assistant Coroner, Oliver Crispin asked: "Had what happened on March 8 not happened, what would you have expected Aylish to turn out like?"
Mrs Grimwood replied: "She could have went on to become a YouTuber, she was very creative with social media."
The Coroner said: "So she had talents that needed to be developed somewhere else?"
"Yes", Mrs Grimwood replied.
The inquest heard how Aylish's transition to college was "complex" and that there had been a previous instance where she had flushed her ADHD medication down a toilet. An Education, Health and Care Plan was provided to Thornbeck College before Aylish's transition, but as it was a "living document" which was constantly updated, "historical safeguarding issues" regarding Aylish's background were not relayed.
Giving evidence, Fay Strong, Principal of Thornbeck College, said these historical issues should have been handed over by Trinity and that there was a "possibility" the college could have done things differently and that "informed decisions" could be made if they were, such as a safeguarding referral.
However, she said even if these details were relayed, the college would likely still have accepted Aylish. The Coroner asked: "Would she still have been within the bounds of your standard remit?"
Mrs Strong replied: "Yes, she was a middle of the road case."
The inquest heard that it seemed "quite apparent" Aylish didn't seem to be at all affected by her experience at Thornbeck. The inquest previously heard how Dr Jennifer Ness had conducted a post-mortem examination at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle and gave the cause of death as being pressure on the neck due to hanging.
The inquest, which is listed for five days, continues.
