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A diagnosis of dyslexia has not held Ruby Castle back – picking up high grades today in her GCSEs.

When Ruby was struggling with all aspects of English lessons in Year 8, her teachers worked with her family to get her a diagnosis.

Since then, she has learnt how to navigate her learning disability – and achieved two grade 6s in her English.

She also collected one grade 8, three grade 5 and one grade 4.

She said: “I was actually really shocked at my results. I did not expect them, especially the grade 8 and grade 6s. I was expecting to get grade 4s and grade 5s.

“I really do not know how I have done it – hard work, I suppose. I went to all of the after-school sessions which helped a lot. It was an opportunity to clear up anything I had not understood in lessons and gave me one-to-one time with my teachers.

“My dyslexia made me work hard to prove the point that I could actually do the same as people who do not have it. I just have a different way of learning, a different way of processing things. Before I was diagnosed, nothing was making sense to me in English, so I couldn’t concentrate as it was so difficult. My teachers helped me by breaking down sentences to make them easier for me to understand and gave me extra time. They helped me to understand dyslexia and how to work around my problems.

“The school put on extra sessions for me specifically to help me to get through my English. I was given extra time to do my exams, as well as a laptop to help me.

“I would not have passed without all of that support.”

Ruby is staying on at Epping St John’s Sixth Form to study business, applied law and history.

She said: “I am staying on at sixth form as it’s an environment I am used to, so it won’t be as daunting. My teachers all get me, so I do not need to build those relationships up again from scratch.”

Communication between school and home helped Phillip Barker to overcome his barriers and achieve his potential.

Having been diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder), Phillip struggled to maintain concentration in his lessons.

Thanks to a partnership between his family and his teachers, he was able to achieve one grade 9, three grade 6, four grade 5 and one grade 4 in his GCSEs.

Proud mum Aloma said: “The SENDCo department was always in contact with us and Phillip’s teachers were always available for me to talk to them. They asked us what worked for Phillip at home, so there was a really strong home / school relationship which helped to push him on.

“He is a clever boy. But, without the attention of his teachers and without that communication, he would not have got through it.

“Hats off to the school. The teachers really went above and beyond, even speaking to us over email at the weekend. They knew he was capable of achieving highly.

“We are really, really proud of him.”

Phillip is now looking forward to studying double engineering and 3D design at fellow BMAT school BMAT STEM Academy, in Harlow.

He said: “I am really, really happy. I did better in my exams than I thought I would.

“The school supported me and pushed me to do the best I could do.”