Xtraordinary People

Kate Griggs - Xtraordinary People

"Kate ‘suffered’ from dyslexia and has family members who ‘suffer’ from it. That's why she understands dyslexia better than anybody and to get out there and fight for other people who can’t afford support is brilliant.”

Sir Richard Branson - President of Xtraordinary People

Giving every dyslexic child the opportunity to excel

Kate is dyslexic as are her father, brother and her children. All have been lucky enough to benefit from an education that has supported their difficulties and encouraged their strengths.

Believing that this support should be available to all families regardless of their ability to pay, and incensed by the lack of knowledge and understanding her son’s first school had of dyslexia, Kate began her campaign to get teachers trained to recognise dyslexia and provide effective support.

Kate set up Xtraordinary People uniting the leading dyslexic charities (British Dyslexia Association, Dyslexia Action, and PATOSS etc) in support of her campaign.

With backing from a host of famous and powerful dyslexic people like Richard Branson, Jamie Oliver, Orlando Bloom and Robbie Williams, who like Kate believe dyslexia can be an advantage - she set out to influence decision makers and to push for change.

To create media attention and to bring the issue to the Government’s attention, Kate stood against the Education Secretary Ruth Kelly in the 2005 election from which a host of media appearances followed.

Since 2005 Kate has been in talks with the Government. She has given evidence to all the relevant reviews, the Education Select Committee SEN Review, ‘Rose Review of Reading’ and thye 2020 Personalised Learning Review.

She has established herself as a media pundit on dyslexia and has written articles for the Commons/Lords House Magazine, Conservatives Crossbow magazine and is regularly featured in national newspapers and TV appearances including GMTV, BBC1, BBC Breakfast, Newsnight, Channel 4, Sky and 5 News.

In 2006, BBC1 produced a 1 hour documentary about her work in a South London ‘sink’ school, working with 11 year olds who had failed their SATS and gone off the rails. After support from the charity, all children made dramatic progress.

In April 2007 Kate was awarded the ‘Campaigner of the Year Award’ presented in Downing Street by Gordon Brown, patron of the awards charity.

In May 2007 the DCSF part-funded Xtraordinary People’s No to Failure project which is demonstrating the need for effective support for children with dyslexia in our schools. Their report released in 2008 found 55% of children failing SATS to be at risk of dyslexia.

In 2008, as a direct result of Kate's camapigning, the Government announced a review into how dyslexic children are being supported in schools and in June 2009 the Government accepted the reviews findings and is embarking on a national programme to provide dyslexicia specialist teachers - exactly what Kate has been campaigning for.

Continually inspired by the many thousands of parents that contact her and driven by her extensive personal experience and unique understanding of dyslexia, Kate has fast become “the voice for dyslexic people worldwide”.

Because you are using a screen reader to view this website, we thought you may like to know that the content hereafter is common to every page so feel free to skip it.