Why is no one talking about Disability? An investigation into Grammar Schools and Disabling Barriers for Dyslexic Pupils.

The UK Grammar School System habitually produces winners and losers and low
socioeconomic pupils are disproportionately concentrated within the 'losers'. Existing
research highlights the structural inequalities and disadvantage experienced by low
socioeconomic pupils in such selective education systems. Resultantly there is a
significant underrepresentation of Free School Meal eligible pupils in Grammar
Schools. Such research debunks the historic guise of the Grammar School System
enabling upward social mobility for academically oriented working-class pupils. A
similarly stark underrepresentation of Special Educational Needs pupils exists in
Grammar Schools, yet Grammar School research has predominantly remained firmly
within the parameters of social-class and ignored disability.
This original research proposes a collaborative mixed-methodology investigation with
the British Dyslexia Association into where dyslexic pupils fall in the Grammar School
winner/loser dichotomy. Quantitative secondary statistical analysis of National
Government datasets and two-sets of qualitative semi-structured interviews, with
dyslexic pupils (aged 16) and 11+/Grammar School stakeholders, are proposed. This
research has significant educational policy implications as it will: i) highlight potential
disabling barriers experienced by dyslexic pupils, resulting in their Grammar School
underrepresentation, ii) determine whether the 11+ is inherently discriminatory for
dyslexic pupils, and iii) explore dyslexic pupils' lived experiences of Grammar Schools
and Secondary Moderns, in comparison to non-selective Comprehensive Schools.
Additionally, this research will consider the intersectionality of disability and social class, to explore the multi-faceted nature of barriers faced by low socioeconomic
dyslexic pupils in selective education systems. Crucially, as a dyslexic individual, this
research will meaningfully contribute to the social model of disability