Science Cafe Blog

How GCSE Exam Design May Unintentionally Disadvantage Neurodivergent Students

Sarah Kennett

Published on: 13/09/2025

EXAMINE has grabbed my attention this week. The project is asking what many neurodivergent students already know but too few talk about: even when accommodations like extra time are granted, the format of an exam can still stack the odds against certain learners. Imagine multi-part questions, idioms or dense question wording turning fatigue into failure, not challenge into achievement.

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5 ways to Support your Teen

Sarah Kennett

Published on: 08/06/2025

Hi, I’m Sarah from Science Café — and if you’re the parent of a teenager facing GCSEs, you’re probably wondering how best to help without adding to the stress.

Revision

What Makes a Brain Neurodivergent?

Sarah Kennett

Published on: 03/06/2025

In recent years, the concept of neurodiversity has gained prominence, encouraging a shift from viewing neurological differences as deficits to recognising them as natural variations of the human brain. Coined in the late 1990s, neurodiversity encompasses conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others, emphasising that these differences are part of normal human variation.

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