Norwich High School for Girls has attained the Norfolk Dyslexia-Friendly Quality Mark for its work in supporting girls across both its Prep and Senior schools.

This award has been issued by Norfolk County Council and is only given to schools that can demonstrate that they provide high quality education and support for students with dyslexia.

“This accreditation reflects the dedication and hard work of our staff, girls and the incredible support of their parents,” said Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo), Dr Stephen Goymer, who steered the award-winning process which lasted several months.

Dr Goymer continued: “If a child does not learn in the way in which we teach, then we must teach her in the way in which she learns. This embraces the school’s mission of ‘putting girls first’ in everything it provides.

“We are indebted to the Norfolk County Council’s Dyslexia Outreach Service and The Indigo Dyslexia Centre in Norwich for training our staff and sharing resources.”

The journey to becoming a dyslexia friendly school involved the collation and submission of a comprehensive evidence portfolio which clearly reflected that Dyslexia-friendliness pervades throughout the entire school, from age 3-18.

Furthermore, the accessibility of the iPad at Norwich High has transformed the experience of the girls with dyslexia, with staff and students using the device to support and further enhance teaching and learning.

The Director of Learning and Inclusion for Norfolk Children’s Services reflected in her congratulatory letter to the school: “your involvement in this initiative demonstrates that your school has the knowledge, understanding and resources to support dyslexic learners “.

The school will be able to apply to renew the Quality Mark every two years.

Alison continued: “In the meantime, we hope this award will lead to an improvement in both achievement and self-esteem, not just amongst dyslexic pupils in our school but for all our pupils. It is widely recognised that changing practice to accommodate dyslexic individuals results in good practice that benefits all learners.”