Grange Hill

Episode 7 (2x7)

Air date: Jan 23, 1979

The next day the boys worry about whether Simon escaped from the school in time. Simon is OK however and he confesses to Trisha that he can't read. The fire was not TOO bad, although the scenery for the school musical has been destroyed. Llewellyn addresses the school and 'diverts' the money raised from the jumble sale to pay for the damaged caused by the fire. Llewellyn says he wants to speak to the boys that Garfield saw hanging around the props room the previous day. Tucker, Benny, Simon and Alan give themselves up. Tucker tries the excuse that he was showing his friends his artwork for the musical but Summers confirms that he did not have permission to be there at that time. Llewellyn asked Tucker and Simon what they were doing there later during class. Simon says that he feigned illness to avoid reading and the boys were just hiding in the props room. For the moment the boys are let off with a warning. Trisha tells Simon that she will help him learn to read. Simon's timetable is found in the fire debris by Garfield and he takes it to show Llewellyn. In class Sutcliffe tells Simon that he wants him to read today as he missed his turn last lesson. Simon refuses to read and runs from the room, just before Llewellyn and Garfield arrive. They call the police in to search for Simon. Trisha tells Sutcliffe about Simon being unable to read. After school they drive round the streets looking for him. Trisha and Sutcliffe eventually find Simon down near the river, he tries to escape but in the end the three of them sit down and discuss things. Sutcliffe thinks that Simon may be dyslexic (his brain does not register what his eyes see). Simon returns to school and confesses to his involvement in the fire but does not implicate anyone else. He is spared expulsion but will be tested for dyslexia and if the tests are positive he will be sent to a special school to deal with this problem.