When Phillipa (not her real name), 17, was still at primary school her mother developed bi-polar disorder. Frequent spells in mental health units meant she was unable to care for Phillippa and her sister. Then their father left.
"We went to live with my grandmother after constantly switching between homes due to my mother's hospital admissions," she recalls. But her gran became anxious about her ability to care for both children, as well as the fact that they were still living near their mother and subject to her drastic mood changes.
So with the support of a charity the family decided to send Phillipa to King Edward's boarding school in Witley, Surrey, after securing funds from the school, charities and the local authority.
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