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Support for dyslexia in GCSE English

Dyslexia mainly affects reading and writing, which is most of what the English exams ask for. What the school can do, which exam arrangements may apply, and the tools and habits that help.

Quick guide for parents and carers · 4 minute read

The NHS describes dyslexia as “a common learning difficulty where your brain works differently to most people”, and says “It mainly affects things like reading, writing, and using numbers.” It does not affect intelligence. The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) calls it “a specific learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills”, and notes that many dyslexic people show strengths in reasoning and in visual and creative fields.

Start with the SENCO

The NHS says a useful first step is to talk to the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), who can arrange a dyslexia screening test at school. A full assessment is usually done by an educational psychologist or a specialist teacher, not a doctor, and most people have to pay for one. A GP cannot diagnose dyslexia but can check for other things that affect schoolwork, such as hearing problems.

At school, the NHS says some ways of teaching reading and spelling work well for dyslexic children, such as visual aids or technology that makes screens easier to read, and work in smaller groups or one to one. If your child needs more support than the school can give, you can apply to the local authority for an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

Access arrangements in the exams

Access arrangements are agreed changes to how a student sits an exam, such as extra time or a computer reader. They are decided by the school, led by the SENCO, under the rules of the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). The current rules apply to the 2026 to 2027 exams. Our page on access arrangements explains the process; these points matter most for dyslexia.

  • A diagnosis is not enough on its own. JCQ’s guidance for parents says that “Additional needs or a diagnosis alone do not entitle a student to access arrangements.” The school needs evidence of need, and the arrangement has to match how your child normally works in class and in mock exams.
  • For 25% extra time, a student with a learning difficulty needs an assessment by the school’s assessor, carried out no earlier than the start of Year 9, showing low scores in two areas of speed of working, such as speed of reading and speed of writing. JCQ sets the exact thresholds.
  • A private assessment can only be used as evidence if the assessor has worked with the school and received its paperwork before assessing your child, so talk to the SENCO before you book one.
  • In English Language, a person cannot read the reading section aloud to your child, because reading is what that section tests. A computer reader, software that reads the text aloud, may be used instead.
  • A word processor may be allowed, with the spelling and grammar check switched off.
  • A scribe can write down your child’s answers, but in an exam that awards marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar, those marks only come for skills your child shows themselves.

JCQ asks parents and carers to tell the SENCO as soon as possible if their child has additional needs, so raise it early, ideally before Year 10.

Tools that help

The BDA’s list of exam arrangements includes several pieces of technology: an exam reading pen, a word processor, and assistive software such as a screen reader or voice recognition. In plain terms:

  • A screen reader, or computer reader, is software that reads text on screen aloud.
  • An exam reading pen is a handheld device that reads printed words aloud.
  • Voice recognition turns speech into typed text.

For revision at home, the BDA suggests audiobooks to keep an interest in stories, and some audiobook apps show the text on screen and mark each word as it is read. On an e-reader, the BDA notes, your child can change the font and its size, the spacing and the brightness of the screen. Free recordings of A Christmas Carol and Macbeth are listed on our page of free revision resources.

AQA is changing its papers too. From summer 2027 its question papers, including English, will set source texts in a single left-aligned column, put any line numbers on the left, and use less bold, italic, capital letters and underlining, which AQA says are not as accessible for some learners.

Reading together

The BDA suggests paired reading: your child chooses the book and starts reading, you read along at their pace, and they give an agreed signal when they want to carry on alone. It suggests about 10 minutes a day, and talking at the end of a page about what has happened. For quotations, our resources use a simple routine that suits short lines: say the quotation aloud, cover it, then write it from memory. There is more in How to learn quotations so they stay learned.

Sources

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