The Guide to GCSE English for Dyslexic Students (2025/26 Syllabus)

For a student with dyslexia, GCSE English exams present multiple difficulties: rapid reading, heavy working memory, and the stamina to handwrite pages of text under time pressure. This is a difficult combination for the neurodivergent brain.

However, dyslexic students often possess skills that are useful for English. They are frequently creative, strong narrative thinkers, and good at seeing the wider context of a story. The main difficulty is usually in formatting exam answers, not the subject content itself.

This guide explains how to manage the 2025/26 syllabus (covering AQA, Edexcel, and OCR) and provides a plan to help dyslexic students achieve good results. Try these at home with your child, or enlist the help of a dyslexia tutor to help your child feel confident as they approach their English GCSEs.

Part 1: Access Arrangements (The Rules)

Before you begin revision, you must ensure the exam conditions are appropriate. "Access Arrangements" are pre-exam adjustments that allow a student with special educational needs to access the assessment.

It is not "cheating" or an unfair advantage. It is the standard way to ensure a student is graded on their knowledge, not their processing speed or handwriting ability.

The "Form 8" Application

You cannot request these arrangements in the weeks before the exam. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) requires strict evidence.

• The Timeline: Schools usually assess students in Year 9 or the start of Year 10. The deadline is typically months before the GCSEs begin.
• Normal Way of Working: You cannot use an arrangement in the exam if you do not use it in class. If your child wants to use a laptop for GCSEs, they must use one for their mocks and classwork. Failure to demonstrate "normal way of working" is the most common reason applications are rejected.

1. Extra Time (25%)

This is the most common arrangement. It adds 25% to the paper's total duration.

How to use it effectively: In a standard English Literature exam (1 hour 45 minutes), 25% adds approximately 26 minutes. The total time becomes 2 hours 11 minutes.

The Problem: Many students view this as "writing time" and write until they are exhausted.

The Solution: Use the "Stop and Think" method.

• First 5 minutes: Breathe and regulate anxiety. Open the paper when you are ready - don't feel the need to rush straight in.
• Planning: Use 10 minutes solely to plan each essay's structure. A plan reduces the cognitive load while writing.
• Divide your time: Ensure you have enough time to answer each question. Budget an even amount of time for each section of the exam.
• Review: Use the final 10 minutes to read through for basic errors.

2. The Word Processor (Laptop)

If a student types faster than they write, or if their handwriting is difficult to read, a laptop is a useful tool.

Key Rules:

• Spell Check is Disabled: For English Language exams, the spell check and grammar check functions are switched off. The student is still tested on their spelling.
• The "Cut and Paste" Benefit: This is the main advantage for dyslexic thinkers. On paper, you must write in a linear order (Start to Finish). On a laptop, a student can write the main paragraphs first and add the introduction at the end. This suits students who struggle to organise their thoughts before writing.

3. Supervised Rest Breaks

This is separate from Extra Time. It allows the student to stop the clock and take a break.

• Who is it for? Students with ADHD, sensory processing issues, or high anxiety.
• How it works: The student puts their pen down. The invigilator pauses the timer. The student can stand up, stretch, or look away from the paper for a few minutes. When they are ready, the timer restarts.
• Why it helps: It prevents the "brain fog" that occurs after 45 minutes of intense focus.

4. A Reader (Human or Computer)

A human reader or a reading pen (like a C-Pen) can read the text to the student.

• English Literature: A reader can usually read both the extracts and the questions, because the exam is assessing interpretation, not basic reading accuracy.
• English Language: A human reader cannot read the passages or questions in the reading section, because reading is being directly assessed. However, a computer reader or reading pen that the student controls is often allowed, so they can have the text read aloud without another person interpreting it for them. Schools must follow JCQ and exam-board rules on this.

5. A Scribe (Voice-to-Text)

A scribe writes down what the student dictates.

• The Risk: In English exams, marks are awarded for Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar (SPaG). If a scribe is used, the student must explicitly dictate every comma, full stop, and capital letter to get these marks. This can be mentally tiring and often results in lower SPaG marks than handwriting. We usually recommend a laptop over a scribe for this reason.

Part 2: English Language (Structure)

The English Language exam consists of two papers. Paper 1 focuses on fiction (creative writing), and Paper 2 focuses on non-fiction (persuasive writing). Both papers carry high marks for "organisation" and "structural control".

For dyslexic students, the challenge is often organising thoughts logically. Answers can become a "stream of consciousness" without clear paragraphs. To fix this, we use rigid visual structures.

1. Fiction Writing: The "Camera Lens" Technique

In Paper 1, Question 5 (AQA), students must write a description or a story based on an image. Instead of trying to invent a complex plot, use a visual approach similar to a film director.

This four-step structure ensures the writing has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Wide Shot (The Setting): Describe the weather, the light, and the atmosphere. Do not describe the action or characters yet. This sets the scene.

Example: "The fog clung to the streetlamps, turning the light purple against the dark."

Zoom In (The Detail): Focus on one tiny, specific object. This demonstrates control and forces the student to use descriptive vocabulary rather than rushing the plot.

Example: "In the gutter, a discarded coffee cup rolled back and forth in the wind. Click. Clack. Click. Clack."

Shift Focus (The Action/Character): Now introduce a person or a movement. Because the scene is set, the action feels more significant.

Example: "A heavy boot stepped over the cup, crushing it into silence. The figure did not pause."

Zoom Out (The Change) Return to the wide shot you started with, but change the atmosphere slightly. This creates a "circular structure," which examiners often reward.

Example: "The footsteps faded into the distance. The fog covered the street once more, thicker than before."

2. Non-Fiction Writing: The "Bookend" Structure

In Paper 2, students usually write a speech, letter, or article. Dyslexic students often have strong ideas and opinions but struggle to keep their argument on track.

Use the "Bookend" method to keep the argument focused:

The Opening (Bookend 1): State the problem clearly.

Example: "Plastic waste is destroying our oceans."

The Personal Story: Use an anecdote.

Example: "Last week, I walked along the beach and saw..."

The Fact: Use logic or a statistic.

Example: "Scientists predict that by 2050..."

The Closing (Bookend 2): Repeat the opening phrase, but offering a solution.

Example: "If we act now, we can save our oceans from plastic waste."

This method stops the student from going off-topic, as they know exactly where they need to end before they begin.

Part 3: English Literature (Memory)

English Literature exams are "closed book," meaning students cannot bring the text into the exam. This assessment method relies heavily on memory, which can be a significant barrier for dyslexic students who often struggle with working memory. Learning 50 quotes per book is often not possible or effective.

The Strategy: Multi-Purpose Quotes

Instead of learning many specific quotes, students should learn 5 "Swiss Army Knife" quotes for each text. These are quotes that are versatile enough to apply to almost any theme or character question.

Example 1: Macbeth

• The Quote: "O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!"
• Theme 1 (Guilt): His mind is stung by the guilt of murder.
• Theme 2 (Madness): He is losing his sanity and control.
• Theme 3 (Evil): Scorpions are venomous; his thoughts have become dangerous.
• Theme 4 (Relationship): He is admitting vulnerability to Lady Macbeth.

Example 2: A Christmas Carol

• The Quote: "Solitary as an oyster."
• Theme 1 (Isolation): Scrooge shuts himself away from society.
• Theme 2 (Greed): The hard shell represents his miserly nature, protecting his money.
• Theme 3 (Transformation): Oysters contain pearls. This suggests there is something valuable inside him waiting to be opened.

By memorising quotes like this, a student can answer questions on multiple topics using the same evidence.

Multisensory Revision

Reading a novel cover-to-cover is slow and often frustrating for a dyslexic student. To retain the plot and characters, use multisensory methods.

• Active Listening: Download the audiobook (available on Audible or YouTube). Do not just listen passively. Listen while reading the physical text. This process, known as dual-coding, helps stick the plot in long-term memory because the student is seeing and hearing the words simultaneously.
• Watch the Play: Texts like An Inspector Calls or Romeo and Juliet were written to be performed, not read silently. Watching a production (live or filmed) gives the student a visual reference for the plot. It is often easier to recall a scene from a film during an exam than a page of text.

Part 4: Revision Techniques

Standard revision methods, such as copying notes from a textbook, are rarely effective for dyslexic students. They require too much processing power for very little retention payoff.

Mind Mapping with Images

Linear notes (lists of bullet points) are hard for the dyslexic brain to process visually. Mind maps allow information to be grouped spatially.

• The Rule: Every branch of the mind map must include a small drawing or symbol.
• Why? The brain has a "picture superiority effect." It recalls a simple drawing of a dagger much faster than the word "violence."

Our specialist dyslexia tutors can help students master these visual planning techniques.

Visual Flashcards

Traditional flashcards often have too much writing. Adapt them for visual processing.

• Front: Draw a simple symbol (e.g., a crown).
• Back: Write the quote associated with it.
• The Method: Look at the image and try to say the quote. This builds a connection between the visual prompt and the language, bypassing the need to read heavy text.

Colour Coding

When analysing a text or writing practice essays, use highlighters to separate different types of information. This provides an instant visual check of the work.

• Pink: Language devices (metaphors, similes, alliteration).
• Green: Context (what was happening in history when this was written?).
• Yellow: Themes (love, war, power, conflict).

If a student looks at their practice paragraph and sees no green, they know immediately that they have missed the context marks.

Part 5: The Spoken Language Endorsement

This is a separate endorsement reported as Pass, Merit, Distinction, or Not Classified. It appears separately on the GCSE certificate and does not change the 9–1 grade. It involves giving a short presentation on a topic of the student's choice.

Dyslexic students are often articulate speakers with strong verbal skills. A Distinction here does not change their written grade, but it is useful evidence of their communication ability for colleges and employers.

The Presentation

• Do not write a script. Reading a script aloud forces students to process the text while speaking, which can cause them to stumble over their words.
• Use cue cards with a maximum of 3 bullet points per card. This prompts the memory but allows the student to speak naturally.

The Q&A Section

After the speech, the teacher will ask questions. This often causes anxiety, but it is an opportunity to gain marks.

• Predict the Questions: When planning the speech, write down 3 obvious questions the teacher might ask. Prepare the answers in advance.
• Take Your Time: It is acceptable to pause before answering. Teach the student to say, "That is an interesting question, let me think," to buy thinking time.

Summary Checklist

If exams are approaching, use this checklist to ensure the basics are in place:

1. Check Access Arrangements: Has Form 8 been signed by the SENCO?
2. The Laptop Switch: If the student is using a laptop in the exam, they must practise on one now. Do not revise on paper and then type in the exam.
3. Download Audiobooks: Get audio versions of all set texts.
4. Create the Quote Bank: Identify 5 multi-purpose quotes for each book.

Specialist Support

Navigating GCSEs with dyslexia requires specific strategies. Generic tuition often focuses on what to learn, rather than how to access it.

At Sunbeam Education, we match students with tutors who understand neurodiversity. We teach the specific tools and frameworks required to access the curriculum and achieve results.

Every Sunbeam tutor is interviewed, safeguarding-trained, insured, and holds an Enhanced DBS certificate. You receive regular reviews to keep you informed.

• Need to know if your child needs support? Take our Dyslexia Quiz here
• Ready to find a tutor? Match with a SEN Tutor today