Education consultants for children with dyslexia
Do you need help finding the right school for a child with dyslexia?
Many families come to us feeling worried that their child is working much harder than their peers but struggling to achieve as much and making less progress.
Some children have a recent diagnosis. Others have struggled for years and are becoming frustrated, anxious or increasingly reluctant to engage with school. Parents often find themselves wondering whether more support is needed, whether a different school might help, or whether their child would benefit from specialist provision.
Our experienced dyslexia education consultants work with families considering everything from additional support within mainstream state and private schools to specialist dyslexia provision.
We help parents understand how different schools approach dyslexia in practice and identify environments where children are more likely to feel successful, supported and confident in their own abilities.
Speak to a SEN education consultant
If you need expert guidance on choosing a school or understanding different pathways we are here to help.
How we support families
Families come to us at many different stages of the process.
Some are at the beginning of a dyslexia journey and trying to understand what support for dyslexia is available. Others are worried that their child's current school is no longer meeting their needs or are exploring whether a move to a different school could make a significant difference.
We work with families at any point in their journey and provide guidance, advice and support to help them make informed decisions about their child's education.
We tailor our service to every family and can offer anything from a one-off consultation meeting to a full school search and admissions support service.
For some families, a single conversation is enough to provide reassurance and direction. Others want more in-depth support to understand different types of provision, compare schools, exploring the EHCP process and navigate school admissions.
Our consultants take the time to understand each child's strengths, challenges, interests and experiences before talking through the available options and their pros and cons.
Some ways we can help
- Understanding support for dyslexia in schools
- Finding the right schools for a child with dyslexia
- Exploring whether mainstream provision is the right fit
- Supporting transitions between schools
- Understanding dyslexia support in mainstream schools
- Comparing mainstream and specialist dyslexia schools
- Identifying schools with strong learning support departments
- Advising on the best private schools for dyslexia support
- Helping families understand assessment reports
- Exploring whether an EHCP may be appropriate
- Supporting applications and admissions
- Helping children rebuild confidence and enjoyment of learning
Our services
We offer a wide range of bespoke consultancy services, and the type and level of support is tailored to each family with as much or as little hands on involvement as you need.
For some families, a one-off meeting to talk through short-listed schools or discuss a particular issue can be enough. For other families, we undertake a full schools search. This starts with an online meeting, getting a real sense of how the next steps in a child’s education might look and building up a really detailed picture of what a future school might ideally offer (in terms of must haves and nice to haves, covering everything from size and ethos to pace, teaching approach and support.
Our heritage
Schools often describe themselves as supportive of dyslexia. The reality can vary considerably.
Some schools have extensive expertise, specialist teaching and a deep understanding of how dyslexic children learn. Others may offer support but lack the resources, experience or flexibility a child requires.
One of the advantages of The Good Schools Guide is that we have spent decades visiting schools, speaking to parents and understanding how support works in practice.
That experience allows us to help families look beyond policies and prospectuses and focus on the environments most likely to help their child succeed.
Who are our SEN education consultants?
Our SEN education consultants have extensive experience supporting families of children with dyslexia and advising on both mainstream and specialist provision.
Because our consultants have first-hand knowledge of schools and SEN provision, we can help families look beyond policies and marketing materials to understand how schools support children with dyslexia in practice.
We focus on helping families identify schools where children will feel understood, supported and able to achieve their potential and thrive, while also helping parents feel more confident about the decisions ahead of them.
We provide:
Totally unbiased, independent advice — we don't receive payment or commission from schools
Deep expertise across mainstream and specialist dyslexia provision
Advice focused on confidence, wellbeing and academic progress
Guidance on EHCPs and additional support where appropriate
Discreet, family-first consultancy
Talk to us about choosing a school
We can help you understand your options and find the right school for your child.
Many of the families I work with have children who are bright, capable and full of potential, but who have started to lose confidence because school feels harder for them than it does for their peers. One of the most rewarding parts of my role is helping parents find schools that understand dyslexia well and recognise a child's strengths as well as their challenges. The right environment can make an extraordinary difference to a child's confidence, happiness and progress.Charlotte Phillips, SEN consultancy manager
Some of our team
Jacqueline Simpson
Education consultant
Jacqueline understands the dilemmas parents face in their search for the right school and relishes identifying schools’ unique qualities.
Sophie Irwin
Education consultant
Sophie has over 30 years’ experience in education teaching, advising and mentoring students of all ages.
Kate Hilpern
Senior editor
Kate is a senior editor and education consultant at The Good Schools Guide, where she has worked for over 15 years.
Other services we offer
Education consultants for EHCP support
Our SEN education consultants support families navigating the EHCP process, understanding their options, and with school choices.
Education consultants for children with ADHD
Our experienced SEN education consultants support families looking for the right school for a child with ADHD.
Private school consultancy
Our experienced private school consultants help families navigate the world of private schools.
FAQs about our education consultancy for children with dyslexia
Is dyslexia a learning disability?
Dyslexia is generally referred to as a disorder of reading and spelling.
Can you get an EHCP for dyslexia?
Parents are often told that they won’t or can’t get an EHCP where the primary area of need is dyslexia. While getting an EHCP is almost invariably a battle, there is nothing in law that should stop a family from getting an EHCP for a child who is dyslexic.
How is dyslexia diagnosed in schools?
Some schools do have a dyslexia specialist who has the appropriate qualification that allows them to formally assess a child. Most, however, don’t. Most specialists will not test children for dyslexia before the age of seven, so it is likely that your child will already be at a mainstream school when they are assessed. If your child is struggling with reading, their class teacher should be able to shed some light on the reading difficulty and help you to understand whether there is a legitimate reason to be concerned. Teachers can give you an idea of your child’s reading ability and indicate whether it is at the level expected for their chronological age. The school may suggest that the child is screened for dyslexia and a formal dyslexia assessment by a qualified dyslexia teacher or a full psychological profile by an educational psychologist may be recommended.
How do I choose the right school for a child with dyslexia?
Whatever your initial decision, you may want to keep an open mind as to your alternatives. Taking a look at a specialist school by way of comparison is always helpful. Some children with a mild diagnosis at age 7 have worked around their difficulties sufficiently a couple of years later to be thriving even in the most academic environments, others with a moderate or severe diagnosis may find their reading improves but their typing speed is still slow, their potential is far from being reached and their confidence suffers. We can help you choose the right school for your child. Please get in touch.
Can children with dyslexia thrive in mainstream schools?
Many children with dyslexia will be educated in mainstream school. It’s not always easy.
Increasing demands at school can be challenging. In year two, pupils are expected to be ‘reading to learn’ rather than ‘learning to read and by the time they start at secondary school they have to cope with change – being taught by specialist teachers, moving classrooms between subjects, become more independent, organising themselves and reading and writing at greater length. All these are challenging for any child, but much more so for children with dyslexia. It can feel overwhelming. However, children who persevere – and put in far more effort than their neurotypical peers will ever need to do – can make excellent progress over time.
What support should schools provide for dyslexia?
The head of learning support should be able to talk to you about the additional support on offer. Teachers should be able to provide practical assistance such as preparing lists of key words or frameworks that create a structure for writing tasks. Some schools may also have access to technology including reading pens or voice-to-text software.
How do I know whether my child needs a specialist dyslexia school?
Children may do well in mainstream schools at the start. It’s a time when other children will also be finding their way as they learn the basics such as handwriting and reading. The differences will become more apparent when classmates master these skills while a dyslexic child may make far slower process. Children will often realise that something is wrong, even if they can’t articulate it. If they become upset or anxious it might be time to start thinking about the help that they need and the type of school that can provide it. We can help you, wherever you are in your journey. Please get in touch.
Can you help us compare mainstream and specialist provision for dyslexia?
No school – or type of school – is perfect. As SEN education consultants, we have many years' experience in talking through the school that is likely to work best for your child, starting with what they need to flourish and looking at the type of school – mainstream or specialist – that comes closest. Please get in touch to find out more.
Can you help us find schools for dyslexia?
Yes, we can! Our consultants are writers for The Good Schools Guide which means that we have first hand insights into hundreds of schools, mainstream and specialist. Whatever type of schools is right for your child, we will work as a team to come as close as we can to identifying it.
Can you help us understand assessment reports?
We always ask to see reports before the initial meeting. We are well-used to reading these so if you have any questions about how the report might influence the choice of school, we would be delighted to answer them.
Can dyslexia affect a child's emotional wellbeing?
For a bright child with dyslexia, it can be immensely frustrating not to be able to put your thoughts down on paper in the same way as other children. That can lead to frustration and anxiety – to the point where children can become disruptive or even unwilling to go to school.
Can you liaise with schools on our behalf?
We offer a wide range of consultancy services, and the type and level of support is tailored to each family with as much or as little hands-on involvement as you need. We can be with you every step of the way, from the initial conversation to short-listing and contacting schools on your behalf and supporting you through the stages of the admissions process - everything you need to guide you through this important decision from start to finish. All our consultants are also writers for The Good Schools Guide - we advise parents based on first-hand insights into schools. We are completely independent (schools cannot pay to be in The Good Schools Guide) and our consultants are not paid by the schools - so our advice is always impartial and based on what is best for each individual student.