Moon Hall School, Reigate - the UK’s leading school exclusively for dyslexic learners - welcomes today’s sobering report from the British Dyslexia Association, which highlights the persistent and deeply concerning academic disadvantage faced by young people with dyslexia in the mainstream UK education system.
According to the BDA’s analysis of the Department for Education’s 2023/24 statistics, just 21.6% of students with a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), such as dyslexia, achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs – a 30% gap compared to their non-SEN peers.
Moon Hall School’s 2024 GCSE results tell a very different story. In an environment tailored specifically to the learning profiles and emotional needs of dyslexic pupils, Moon Hall’s GCSE results continue to demonstrate an upward trend, directly challenging the assumption that dyslexia must limit academic potential. In the most recent results, 60% of Moon Hall pupils achieved a grade 4 (standard pass) or above in English and maths, compared to just 39.5% of students with SpLD, nationally.
Furthermore, 25% of Moon Hall students secured a grade 5 or above, exceeding the national SpLD figure of 21.6%. These outcomes are a testament to what dyslexic learners can achieve with the right support and specialist teaching.
Executive Headteacher of Moon Hall, Mrs Michelle Catterson, who also serves as Chair of the British Dyslexia Association, commented: “The BDA’s findings reaffirm what we at Moon Hall witness every day – that dyslexic children are not underachieving because of a lack of ability, but because of a lack of understanding and adaptation in the system. At Moon Hall, when you put the right support in place, the outcomes are transformational. These results are not outliers – they are what’s possible when education is dyslexia-informed by design.”
Moon Hall’s success is rooted in early identification, evidence-based literacy intervention, class sizes that allow for individualised teaching, and an ethos that recognises and celebrates neurodiversity. In addition, the school integrates assistive technology and supports teachers with the understanding of cognitive science that empower students to take ownership of their learning.
