North Cestrian Grammar School has a commitment to help pupils who have been assessed as being dyslexic or who have some other Learning Difficulty, where those pupils can work successfully within the confines of the standard school curriculum if given sympathetic support. In certain cases, special allowance may be made when assessing these pupils’ progress.

The provision for special needs usually focus on the specialised teaching of pupils with dyslexia. If it seems that a pupil might be dyslexic then discussions are initiated with the parents with the aim of an assessment by the Dyslexia Institute. If this indicates a learning difficulty, or if a pupil comes to the School with dyslexia already established, the School will recommend sessions with Mrs Robson or Mrs Woodcock.

If a pupil has a Specific Learning Difficulty, it is possible to acquire from the Dyslexic Institute a letter to send to GCSE and ‘A’ Level examining boards which, in most cases, leads to the granting of extra time in public examinations. The Dyslexia Institute or the School Examinations' Secretary will be able to provide more information but assessments must be available at least 4 months before the examination date and they must be current.

Where a pupil’s work, or parental concern, suggests some other form of learning difficulty or special needs, the School’s SENCO will carry out an assessment and inform parents of what other help can be given. The School has a literacy and a numeracy tutor who may be able to help boost performance in these areas by private arrangement.

All staff are aware of the pupils who need help to organise their work. Extra care is taken to ensure these pupils have clear details of homework assignments noted in their diaries.