Barrow boy with Down's Syndrome smashes exams after becoming prom king

16-year-old Enzo Wilkinson, who has Down’s Syndrome, has been left smiling from ear to ear after coming away with a C in Art and Design and photography, as well as Entry Level Maths after completing five years of study at Walney School.

Proud mum Kerry Wilkinson is ‘on cloud nine’ after her son’s achievement.

“We thought he wouldn’t get past year nine because stats are showing that children with certain disabilities don’t get past it and have to go into a school of needs,” said Kerry. “When we went to pick up his results we were like, ‘a C, I can’t believe he’s got that!’ – we never even expected him to take an exam.”

Kerry said doctors had painted a ‘dark and bleak’ picture upon Enzo’s birth – but he has been quick to prove them wrong.

Enzo and his proud parents

Kerry said: “He smashed it at prom and got voted prom king by his year group. It’s just amazing for somebody with Down’s Syndrome to just smash all limitations.”

As well as becoming prom king, Enzo was a prefect in year 11 and has been in a rock band with School of Rock since the age of seven. He also has a job at West Point House.

Enzo will be returning to education with George Hastwell Post 16, where he will continue to learn traditional education subjects such as reading and writing, as well as life skills such as managing finances, understanding bus routes and making the bed.

“They’ll be getting them ready for the ‘big bad world’ if you will,” said Mrs Wilkinson. “He is constantly smashing boundaries and he does it without any moans or grumbles.”

Mrs Wilkinson believes that Enzo may be the only person with Down’s Syndrome in the area to have achieved GCSEs and that it’s ‘probably because they (others) have been told they can’t’ urging people to ‘stand their ground’.

She attributes some of her son’s success to his highly supportive friendship group.

She said: “At the start of year seven there was one kid that went home to his mum and said he’d just made a new friend; he didn’t even mention that he had Down’s Syndrome or special needs.

“Within a short period of time there was a group of five of them and they’ve taken him under their wing. They go to the pictures together, McDonald’s, they went to prom together, camping – he’s done things that children of that age should be doing!"

Enzo and Mrs Keenan

A huge thanks was also given to an ‘absolutely amazing woman’, Mrs Keenan. Mrs Keenan was Enzo’s one-to-one help from year seven to 11, with Kerry describing her as Enzo’s ‘saving grace’.