The Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils, our aim is to help parents and also those who advise them choose an educational establishment for children with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD).

In October 2013 the CReSTeD Council revised their criteria for inclusion of schools and teaching centres within the Register.

In many respects the changes may seem cosmetic, a case of re-organisation to place similar criteria together. However, on closer inspection you will find a major difference.

In the past we have referred to dyslexia as the focus of our assessment within schools, we updated this a few years ago to read ‘dyslexia(SpLD)’. Our criteria now reads simply ‘SpLD’, the support for children with dyslexia works within a wider frameset that should include all learning difficulties.

We have not forgotten our roots, we are still a dyslexia charity, we are simply taking into account the wider picture.

Accrediting Schools and Teaching Centres for their Learning Support Provision.

We maintain a register of schools and teaching centres which meet our criteria for the teaching of pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties.

All schools and centres included in the Register are visited regularly to ensure they continue to meet the criteria set by CReSTeD.

We act as a source of names for educational establishments which parents can use as their first step towards making a placement decision which will be critical to their child’s educational future.

The majority of schools on the register are mainstream schools that are also able to give excellent help to pupils with SpLD: dyslexia and also – when combined with dyslexia – dyscalculia, dyspraxia, ADD, and pragmatic and semantic language difficulties. In addition we include teaching centres where children can find additional support outside of and /or in addition to their day to day schooling.

The register provides guidance for parents who are looking for a school or teaching centre for their child with SpLD and has become established as a first source of such guidance. For example:

• Parents who contact the British Dyslexia Association, Dyslexia Action or the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity to enquire about schools will be referred to CReSTeD.


• Many local authorities rely on the CReSTeD register – which is published annually – to inform their financial decisions about funding a placement for dyslexia.


• Educational professionals look to the CReSTeD Register to inform their decisions and the advice they provide to parents.

CReSTeD: a recognition going beyond a specialism

Our work is supported by British Dyslexia Association, Dyslexia Action, Dyslexia-SpLD Trust & Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity
The CReSTeD Council