Grammar-school support for dyslexia, ADHD and autism: what to ask

A practical guide to evaluating grammar-school SEND provision, SENCO support, classroom adjustments and transition for your child.

Grammar schools can support pupils with dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other special educational needs. Provision varies between schools and children, so the useful question is not simply whether a school “does SEND”. Ask how it would identify and respond to your child’s actual barriers to learning, participation and wellbeing.

Note

Planning for an exam taken in 2027? Check the school-entry year on every policy. An autumn 2027 test commonly leads to September 2028 entry. A page headed “2027 entry” may describe a test taken in 2026. Unpublished future arrangements should be treated as unconfirmed.

Start with the SEND information report

Read the school’s SEND information report, SEND policy and accessibility information. Look for how needs are identified, how parents and pupils contribute, who co-ordinates support and how progress is reviewed. Check the document date and ask whether the arrangements will change before your child joins.

GOV.UK’s SEN support guidance directs families to the teacher or SENCO to discuss additional help. Support can include adapted learning, help in class or with communication, and smaller-group work. A child does not need to struggle in every subject before a specific concern deserves attention.

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What published grammar-school provision looks like

Ermysted’s Grammar School describes gathering information from teachers, previous schools and professionals, then reviewing individual support. Its examples include adapted teaching, resources and individual or small-group help. Stretford Grammar School describes pupil learning passports shared with staff, review cycles and its HUB support space.

These are examples from the schools’ own published accounts, not a ranking or a guarantee for another school. Ask the school you are considering to explain the equivalent process for your child. Avoid assuming that a room, a named intervention or a learning-support team automatically means a particular service is available every day.

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Questions to ask about your child’s needs

Use the prompts below to structure a conversation with the SENCO. They are questions to explore, not a prescription: children with the same diagnosis can need different support.

Area to discuss	Useful question	What to clarify
Reading and written work	How would teachers support access to lengthy texts or recording ideas?	Which adaptations are used in lessons, who decides on them and how their usefulness is reviewed.
Attention and organisation	How are tasks, homework instructions and changes of activity made manageable?	How subject teachers communicate consistent expectations and how the pupil asks for help.
Sensory or communication needs	What happens if busy corridors, unexpected changes or unclear instructions become difficult?	How staff learn the individual pupil’s needs and what agreed support is available.
Assessment	How are classroom assessment arrangements considered?	How school tests and later public-exam requirements are handled separately.
Pastoral support	Who notices if a pupil is coping academically but struggling emotionally?	A named contact, escalation process and communication with home.

For dyslexia, ask about the specific reading or writing barrier rather than assuming a font or coloured overlay solves it. For ADHD, explore how attention and organisation are supported rather than asking only about extra time. For an autistic child, discuss their own communication and sensory preferences rather than assuming all autistic pupils need the same environment.

Support should be planned and reviewed

Ask how a concern becomes an agreed plan: what information is gathered, which actions are tried, who carries them out and when the school checks whether they help. You might encounter terms such as learning passport, individual education plan or assess–plan–do–review. Ask staff to explain how the document changes classroom practice.

How will every subject teacher receive relevant information?
Who will be the family’s first contact?
How can the pupil say an adjustment is not helping?
What would trigger a change in support or further assessment?
When will the family receive an update, and what evidence will be discussed?

If your child has an EHCP, discuss the provision specified in it with the school and local authority. A general SEND webpage cannot confirm that a particular package of support will be delivered. Keep clear notes of what is being proposed and what remains to be agreed.

Prepare the move from primary school

1Ask the current SENCO which successful strategies and records should be passed on.
2Share your child’s strengths and interests as well as areas of difficulty.
3Discuss the journey, arrival, lunch, changing rooms and homework routine—not just lessons.
4Ask whether an additional visit, a visual guide or a meeting with a named adult would help and is available.
5Agree an early review after the move, including the child’s own account of what is working.

An original one-page handover can help organise the discussion: “What I enjoy”, “What I find difficult”, “What helps”, “How I ask for help” and “Who to contact”. Complete it with your child and the school. It should support, rather than replace, formal records and professional advice.

Entrance-test adjustments are a separate decision

A school’s ability to support a pupil in Year 7 does not automatically approve extra time for its entrance exam. Likewise, an entrance-test adjustment does not guarantee the same arrangement in later public exams. Check the 11 Plus access-arrangements process and the admissions route for children with SEN or an EHCP separately.

If support is not working

Raise the specific problem with the teacher or SENCO and ask for an agreed next step and review date. Describe what is happening, when and its effect on learning or participation. If it remains unresolved, consult the school’s complaints procedure and your local SEND information, advice and support service. EHCP and disability-related disputes may require a different route from a general school complaint.

GOV.UK’s disability-rights guidance explains the duty to make reasonable adjustments. There is no responsible way to promise a therapy, staffing level or legal outcome from the diagnosis alone. Compare individual schools on the evidence they provide and your child’s experience.