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Parents of dyslexic children - experience of RGS, JHGS?

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 3:37 pm
by BiscuitEater
We opened our letter with some trepidation last Friday, as our son was assessed with dsylexia just after he sat the exam and we really weren't sure what to expect. He has managed to qualify for a grammar school place though, so now I am trying to work out where he will get good support for his dyslexia over the next seven years. (Is a grammar school even a good idea?)

I am planning on calling round to the local SENCOs, but if any forum parents have experience of dyslexia provision at RGS or JHGS (or any of the local uppers), I would really appreciate hearing from you. We're in pretty new territory and any advice is very welcome.

Re: Parents of dyslexic children - experience of RGS, JHGS?

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 6:21 pm
by ironic
Hi
Congrats on your son's result! I don't have a dyslexic child but I do teach at a Bucks grammar (not one of the ones you mentioned). I can't advise specifically on those schools, but I know that at our school we have a number of pupils with dyslexia and they generally do well with appropriate support. This includes the use of laptops where appropriate (this can also be in public exams as well as lessons if the SENCO applies for this as an "access arrangement"), potentially having a scribe in exams, 25% extra time in assessments, modified resources in all lessons if needed. For example, all my powerpoint lessons are written on a buff coloured background with navy coloured font which is apparently the most "dyslexia friendly" format.
All the best with it.

Re: Parents of dyslexic children - experience of RGS, JHGS?

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 10:51 pm
by drummer
I don't have experience of those schools but do have a dyslexic son who spent a year in a well regarded upper school before qualifying a 12+ and moving to a grammar school. Just wanted to say that he got much better support (BY FAR) at the grammar school and was much happier . Just wanted to mention this because the received wisdom (usually espoused by people with no experience) is that it is the other way around.

Bright dyslexic children have the dual problem where their intelligence hides their difficulties while their difficulties mask their true intelligence. At the upper school he was far too able to be of any concern to the SENCO who had far greater problems to manage.

I would definitely go for a GS. My son was utterly miserable at the upper school not least because he was so under-challenged.