Educating Yorkshire remains one of the most heartwarming programmes on TV at the moment, and last night’s episode was no exception.
On Sunday evening, Channel 4 viewers were introduced to a 13-year-old boy named Lewis, a pupil at Thornhill who was in year nine at the time of filming.
From the start, it’s clear that Lewis cares deeply about his education, describing it as ‘probably the most important part of life itself’ and acknowledging how it can help with his future.
However, there are parts of school that he struggles with. Lewis was diagnosed with autism when he was eight years old, and finds being a student at Thornhill a ‘chaotic’ experience.
‘The children are just quite childish and the teachers always seem so stressed,’ he says.
‘With my autism, I can just go on and on about something or go off on a tangent, or I can be so stressed at one moment and just be completely calm the next. I don’t know how to honestly explain it.’
At break times, Lewis receives extra support from specialist teacher Mrs Burton. During one session, she asks him if there has ever been a time when he felt proud to have autism.
‘No, never. Why would you be proud of having something that’s considered to be essentially like a minimised version of brain damage?’ he responds, to which Mrs Burton insists that the condition shouldn’t be viewed in that way, and that it makes Lewis ‘who he is’.
Another student called Ismaeel at Thornhill, who’s in year seven, has recently decided to launch a chess club – and Mrs Burton believes that it could be good for Lewis to join in, although he has reservations.
Lewis states that chess is ‘often considered one of the most intelligent games you can play’, but he’s convinced that he would ‘have the mick taken out of him’ by other people if he went along to the club.
Lewis does try at first, walking by the door to the chess club with Mrs Burton and looking into the room. However, as soon as he sees other students inside, he immediately decides not to go in and heads outside with the teacher.
‘I just can’t, and I don’t know why,’ he says to her, before heartbreakingly adding: ‘Sorry I just worry so much and it all fumbles up in my head. I feel like I’m going to be an absolute joke. I’m a moron.’
Being around people who he doesn’t know can be extremely difficult for Lewis, as he explains that he can become ‘less calm and more erratic’ in those circumstances.
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Nonetheless, it isn’t over for Lewis and the chess club, as by the end of the Educating Yorkshire episode, he decides to try again.
After entering the room for the chess club, it appears for a few moments as though Lewis is the only Thornhill student who’s come to the club, and he starts to play a game with a teacher.
A few minutes pass… and lo and behold, more pupiles arrive. Lewis smiles and says hello as several of his peers come into the room and start their own chess games. He then goes head-to-head with a boy called Scott.
‘I don’t normally talk to the other pupils,’ Lewis tells the camera. ‘It takes a lot for me to open up. I guess you could say I grow on people, I mean not like a virus or a fungus, but you know what I mean.’
Despite being beaten by Scott, Lewis’ happiness is clear to see, and many viewers expressed their support for him on X, praising him for conquering his fear.
‘Lewis yesssss he went to chess club and his smile was everything 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 he did it 💯,’ an X account called @atvfriend tweeted.
Rich Armstrong wrote: ‘I’ve had severe OCD since I was eight. Diagnosed in my early 20s, and my life is very complex each day. I was always the weird kid in school who did things differently and had no support in school, delighted to see there’s help out there. Well done Lewis. 👏👏👏.’
‘Delighted for Lewis, his little smile during chess,’ Michelle shared, while George added: ‘I feel so sympathetic towards the Lewis kid in #educatingyorkshire. I understand what he is going through and it’s so difficult to do things when your self confidence is horrific. I hope he does well in life.’
Educating Yorkshire airs at 8pm on Sundays on Channel 4, and is available to stream on demand.
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