The John Lyon School is committed to giving all applicants and all current pupils equal opportunities to succeed, congruent with its status as an academically selective school. We endeavour to ensure that no boy who needs learning support goes without it; a task made easier by the ethos of the School, which is to treat each pupil as an individual.

On entering the School, all boys take a short test designed to alert us to any potential specific learning difficulties (SpLDs), such as dyslexia. Such difficulties can vary considerably and can, on occasion, be masked by intelligent pupils who have found their own coping strategies during their primary years. As a result they may not have been identified as requiring help. The test papers are marked by the Learning Support Department. We also look at other evidence like an extended piece of writing from an English task. If we have any concerns arising from this evidence, the pupil is then asked to attend a follow-up test and is monitored by teaching staff for any longer-term signs of difficulties.

If a boy applies to the School with a diagnosed SpLD, he is given extra time in the entrance examination to give him an opportunity to demonstrate what he can do.

A decision is eventually made as to whether the pupil concerned might benefit from additional learning support - perhaps in the form of extra individual lessons - and parents are informed accordingly. These might be on a short-term, targeted basis or over a longer period of time, according to need.

Some boys need one-to-one help with spelling or reading strategies; some benefit from working in small groups, while others may need more time in examinations. Some pupils, both younger and older, might simply need encouragement and confidence-boosting. The Learning Support Department will design lessons specifically aimed at addressing difficulties experienced by the pupils concerned.

Reports will be written that will focus on difficulties that may be related to a specific subject or range of subjects. Targets are set by the Learning Support Dept. and relayed to parents and the teaching staff, who are kept informed of progress.

We try to keep parents informed of all developments. Our first concern is to boost the confidence of the pupils concerned and to enable them to flourish during their time at the School.

Further information about Specific Learning Difficulties

Although the terms ‘Specific Learning Difficulties’ (SpLD) and ‘Special Educational Needs’ (SEN) still have negative connotations for some people, it should be noted that dyslexia is not a discriminator or decider of intelligence. Indeed, some of the learning support provided at The John Lyon School has been with boys who have also been in the Gifted & Talented cohort. Statistics show that approximately 10% of the population are, to some degree, dyslexic, and an increasing number of males in particular are being diagnosed with a range of learning profiles. Without appropriate support, such learning conditions can hold back even the brightest of pupils, so we attempt to prevent such from being the case.