A teenage girl who has been 'forced' to sit her GCSEs exams while having cancer has slammed the 'unfair rules'.
Year 11 pupil Grace Sanderson, who attends Northallerton High School, said she was left with "no choice" but to take her GCSEs.
She is undergoing gruelling chemotherapy after being diagnosed with leukaemia back in March.
The teenager was told by exam boards if she didn't sit her GCSE exam - despite having set two sets of mock exams - she will be left ungraded.
Grace, 16, told ITV News Tyne Tees : "It's unfair. I'm being treated like I'm choosing not to go to school.
"I've got to have my treatment and put my health first."
Her mum Emma believes her daughter should not be penalised for having cancer and teacher assessments should be counted - like they were in the pandemic.
Emma said: "Our daughter and other teenagers in similar situations should not be penalised for having cancer."
On March 11, Grace was given the heartbreaking diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and underwent gruelling chemotherapy as she spent 17 days in intensive care.
She needed four rounds of treatment and has completed two of them.
Hard-working Grace has completed most of her GCSE syllabus for her chosen subjects.
But now she is being told to sit at least one paper for each subject - as her family won't be able to appeal the grades if she doesn't.
The teenager has given the option to repeat the year but it would mean she wouldn't be able to move up a year with her friends.
In addition, the coursework she's already completed also wouldn't count.
The teenager said: "I want to feel normal and have a fresh start."
Her school, Northallerton High, have said Grace is allowed to start sixth form in September - but will have to resit some GCSE exams.
Emma said: "We're not asking for something that hasn't been done before - we are asking for compassion.
"[Grace] wants to get results on results day and wants to progress academically, as well as socially.
"Redoing a year just isn't appropriate."
The exam board AQA have given Grace's family the option of obtaining a letter of recommendation from them.
However, there is no guarantee a Higher Education body would accept the letter in place of grades.
Emma's mum believes the education system that should be supporting her is letting her down.
She said: "The system that should have been supporting her is failing her."
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We fully recognise that GCSEs mark the culmination of a number of years of hard work, and to be diagnosed with cancer or any serious illness so close to exams will always be an incredibly challenging and upsetting experience.
“As in any year, some students might need reasonable adjustments to help them access exams.
"In these circumstances, for example, exam boards can permit students to take exams from home or hospital.
"The boards also run a special consideration process to award a grade where students are able to take at least one exam or formal assessment in a subject.
“Where none of these arrangements are appropriate in the student’s individual circumstances, it may be more appropriate for their exams to be deferred until the next assessment round.”
Grace's mum has set up a Change.org petition demanding the system is changed - which has nearly 10,000 signatures.
