Sterre started the Performing Arts Course in September 2011. However, despite consistent effort from Sterre's family throughout the year, the learning support department became the barrier to Sterre’s inclusion. Sterre’s family was only allowed to contact the college through them and they refused to communicate the information that Sterre needed for the course to her family or pass on information to curriculum staff. This meant that the performing arts department did not know how to communicate with Sterre or support her with her studies and that Sterre was excluded from most performances.​

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Sterre uses signs to communicate, but the people supporting her did not know or use signs and had very little understanding of what she was trying to say. This meant that she was unable to communicate for the whole year.​
 

Sterre's own PA came into college to support her communication. This dramatically changed Sterre’s participation with staff and students in the performing arts department and they were very positive about the new arrangement. They agreed that there had been a lack of effective communication and that Sterre should return to retake the course the following year. For the first time in this year of struggle the family believed that progress towards Sterre’s effective inclusion was being made. However, after only two days the learning support department, complaining that it was against college policy for students to have their own PAs, stopped Sterre from bringing her PA to college.

After significant struggle with senior college management, Sterre was allowed to have her own PA back with her for the last two weeks of the academic year. However, two weeks is not enough for any student to complete a whole years worth of targets! Due to this Sterre applied to retake the performing arts level 1 course in September 2012.​
 

​In a meeting two days before the end of the academic year, a Newham College administrator informed the parents, with no performing arts staff present, that Sterre would not be allowed on the Level 1 performing arts course; she would only be allowed to attend a course for students with learning difficulties. This was a course Sterre had already completed. However, there was no point in discussion; the decision to exclude Sterre from the course had been taken “in private and behind closed doors”.