Education | Posted on May 15th, 2026 | return to news

Teacher and Miss Dorset finalist calls for dyslexia reform

Lauren Ferger-Andrews, a teacher and Miss Dorset finalist, is campaigning for NHS-funded dyslexia assessments.

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Did you know that dyslexia affects approximately one in 10 people in the UK? And yet getting a diagnosis for dyslexia is not free on the NHS; an assessment can cost anywhere from £200 to over £900.

Going undiagnosed due to the cost and limited access can cause people to struggle in work, education and daily life, which is why a Dorset-based schoolteacher is campaigning for change.

Lauren Ferger-Andrews has launched a petition urging the government to make dyslexia assessments available via the NHS, ensuring fair and timely access for all, reducing inequality.

She said: “I myself am dyslexic and received a diagnosis in my teens.
“I had two very polar experiences in education. I really struggled and did not understand why I was finding so many things so challenging, especially reading and writing. But once I received a diagnosis, all of a sudden, the difficulties all made sense and the school put in support for me, and I was able to thrive.

Ferger-Andrews, who grew up in Germany before moving to the UK to study, is currently a teacher at The Epiphany School in Bournemouth. She is also becoming an expert in the condition: she is a Literacy Deficit Specialist and dyslexia assessor and is currently completing my MA focused on dyslexia at Bath University.

“As an assessor myself, I know that dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence. I have now made it my life goal to help students who are in the same position I was in.”

Ferger-Andrews is also a finalist in the upcoming Miss Dorset competition at the end of May, which she is using as a platform to advocate for dyslexia awareness.

“My message here is to spread awareness around dyslexia and to advocate for early and accurate diagnosis. My mission is to petition for the government to fund dyslexia assessments on the NHS as currently they need to be paid for privately, creating a huge financial barrier to access to assessments.
“Children are only granted access to school support arrangements if they have the diagnosis, so this is a huge barrier to learning.”

As well as dyslexia advocacy, Ferger-Andrews is passionate about musical theatre and will be performing in the upcoming ‘Shrek the Musical’ in Wimborne Minster. Earlier in the year, she ran the Weymouth Half Marathon, raising £900 for Cancer UK.

Ferger-Andrews will be speaking to local MP Vikki Slade about her campaign in the coming weeks. To sign her petition, go to: Fund NHS dyslexia assessments – Petitions.