There is a student in your class who always seems to be a few minutes behind.
Copying from the board takes longer than it should. Their handwriting can be slow and inconsistent. Their folder is rarely organised. They understand a question perfectly when discussing it with you, but their written work does not always reflect the same level of understanding. In PE, practical subjects or tasks requiring fine motor control, they may appear hesitant or awkward.
Different teachers may interpret the same student differently.
“They need to be more organised.”
“They rush and make careless mistakes.”
“They’re capable, but they don’t put enough effort into their written work.”
But there may be something else happening.
For some students, these patterns can be associated with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), often referred to as dyspraxia. And by secondary school, the signs may be much less obvious than simply appearing “clumsy”.
What is dyspraxia or Developmental Coordination Disorder?
Developmental Coordination Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting movement and coordination. A young person’s motor skills are significantly below what would normally be expected for their age, and these difficulties interfere with everyday activities and participation at school.
The term dyspraxia is commonly used, although DCD is the recognised diagnostic term. DCD is estimated to affect around 5 to 6% of school-aged children. (Chelsea Westminster Hospital)
It is important to distinguish DCD from simply being “a bit clumsy”
Students with DCD may experience persistent difficulties with activities involving fine or gross motor coordination. This might include handwriting, using equipment, dressing, participating in sport or completing practical activities.
And importantly, DCD is not a reflection of intelligence or effort. The NHS notes that DCD does not affect intelligence, although the difficulties associated with it can make learning and school participation more challenging.Â
By secondary school, however, some of the most noticeable difficulties may appear in places teachers do not immediately associate with coordination.
What can dyspraxia look like in a secondary school classroom?
There is no single classroom profile for DCD. One student might struggle significantly with handwriting but manage organisation relatively well. Another might have developed ways to compensate for their motor difficulties but find the pace and organisational demands of secondary school increasingly difficult.
Teachers might notice:
What you see | What may be happening |
Very slow handwriting | Writing requires considerably more effort |
Inconsistent handwriting | Motor control may vary with fatigue and task demands |
Difficulty copying from the board | Coordinating looking, remembering and writing may be demanding |
Untidy folders or misplaced equipment | Organisation and sequencing may be difficult |
Difficulty following multi-step instructions | Managing several actions at once may be challenging |
Slow completion of written tasks | The physical demands of producing work can reduce output |
Strong verbal answers but weaker written work | Written production may not fully reflect understanding |
Difficulty in PE | Gross motor coordination may be affected |
Difficulty using practical equipment | Fine motor coordination and sequencing may create barriers |
Appearing unusually tired during lengthy written tasks | Sustained motor effort can be demanding |
The important word here is pattern.
One messy piece of work does not indicate DCD. Neither does occasionally forgetting PE equipment or struggling with handwriting. But when the same difficulties appear persistently, across different subjects and situations, they deserve curiosity rather than assumption.
A student who repeatedly struggles to organise themselves may not simply be careless. A student who produces very little writing may not lack ideas. A student avoiding PE may not lack motivation. Sometimes the behaviour we see is the student’s response to a task that requires considerably more effort for them than it does for their peers.
Why can dyspraxia become more noticeable in secondary school?
The signs of DCD begin during childhood, and some children will already have been identified before entering secondary school. But adolescence can expose difficulties in new ways.
Consider how much changes when a student moves from primary to secondary education. Instead of spending much of the day with one teacher, they may now have:
- multiple teachers
- different classrooms
- books and equipment for numerous subjects
- changing homework deadlines
- faster-paced lessons
- more independent organisation
- greater volumes of written work
- practical subjects with specialist equipment
- increasingly time-sensitive assessments
A student who previously developed strategies for managing their difficulties may suddenly find those strategies are no longer enough.
The NHS UK specifically notes that although physical coordination difficulties may sometimes become less prominent as children get older, difficulties producing written schoolwork can become more prominent during adolescence.Â
This is one reason secondary teachers should look beyond stereotypical ideas of dyspraxia. The student does not necessarily need to be visibly falling over or dropping things.
Sometimes the clue is the growing gap between what the student appears to understand and what they are able to produce under ordinary classroom conditions.
The hidden workload behind a written task
Imagine asking students to listen to an explanation, remember three instructions, copy information from the board and begin answering a question. For many students, handwriting itself has become relatively automatic.
That leaves more attention available for:
- remembering the instructions
- organising ideas
- choosing vocabulary
- solving the problem
- checking the answer
For a student with DCD, aspects of the physical task may require more deliberate effort. They may be simultaneously thinking about letter formation, spacing, positioning, copying accurately and keeping pace.
That doesn’t mean every student with DCD has a working-memory or processing-speed difficulty. These are distinct areas and should not be treated as defining features of DCD.
But the additional demands associated with coordination can increase the overall load of a classroom task. This helps explain something teachers sometimes notice: The student’s verbal contribution seems much stronger than their written work.
That discrepancy deserves attention. The question becomes less: “Why aren’t they showing what they know?” and more: “Is the way we’re asking them to demonstrate what they know creating an unnecessary barrier?”
That is a very different starting point.
Practical classroom adjustments for students with dyspraxia
Support does not always require a complicated intervention. Often the most useful adjustments involve reducing unnecessary demands so the student can focus more of their effort on the learning itself.
Here are ten practical approaches teachers can consider.
For written work
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- Consider typing as an alternative to handwriting: Where appropriate, allowing a student to use a laptop or other suitable technology can reduce the motor demands associated with extended handwriting.
- Reduce unnecessary copying: If the learning objective is understanding a concept, spending ten minutes copying the question from the board may add little educational value. Providing slides, printed notes or digital resources can help.
- Allow appropriate additional time for classroom tasks: A student who writes more slowly may simply need longer to demonstrate the same understanding. This does not mean automatically applying examination arrangements to every classroom task. It means recognising when speed is not what you are trying to assess.
- Break multi-step instructions down: Instead of: Open your book, copy the diagram, label it, answer questions one to five and then compare your answers, try presenting the task in smaller stages.
For organisation
- Create predictable systems: Consistent routines for homework, equipment and deadlines can reduce organisational demands. Visual timetables, planners and checklists may help some students.
- Provide a reliable way to record homework: A photograph of the board, an online learning platform or a digital reminder may be more reliable than expecting a student to copy several instructions quickly at the end of a lesson.
For practical subjects
- Demonstrate rather than only explain: Physical and practical tasks can be easier to understand when students can see each stage demonstrated. Breaking movements or procedures into smaller steps may also help.Â
- Separate understanding from physical execution where appropriate: Ask what you are actually assessing. If the objective is understanding a scientific concept, for example, consider whether difficulties manipulating equipment are obscuring the student’s knowledge.
For assessment
- Observe the student’s normal way of working: How does the student cope with:
- timed writing?
- copying?
- extended responses?
- typing?
- multi-step tasks?
- practical assessments?
These observations can become valuable evidence if further investigation is required.
- Share patterns with the SENCO or learning-support team: One teacher sees handwriting. Another sees organisation. Another notices difficulties in PE. Another sees a large difference between oral and written responses. Individually, those observations may appear unrelated. Together, they can provide a much clearer picture.
When should a teacher raise a concern?
Teachers are not expected to diagnose DCD. Diagnosis requires an appropriate professional assessment, and other explanations for motor difficulties need to be considered. (nhs.uk)
Your role is much more practical: Notice. Record. Share. Support.
If you repeatedly observe difficulties that appear to be affecting a student’s learning or participation, speak to the SENCO, SEND team or relevant learning-support professional.
Useful evidence might include:
- examples of written work
- differences between oral and written performance
- time required to complete tasks
- observations across different subjects
- difficulties using equipment
- strategies already attempted
- whether typing changes the quality or quantity of work
This creates a much richer picture than simply recording: “Poor handwriting.”
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Dyspraxia and exam arrangements
For some students with DCD, the difficulties they experience may also be relevant when considering access arrangements for examinations. But a diagnosis of DCD does not automatically entitle a student to a particular arrangement.
In the UK
Under current JCQ guidance, access arrangements are based on the individual candidate’s needs and, where applicable, evidence showing their normal way of working within the centre. Depending on the student’s individual circumstances, relevant arrangements might include a word processor, extra time or other adjustments.
For example, JCQ permits a word processor where it is appropriate to the candidate’s needs and reflects their normal way of working. A word processor does not itself require an online application, although other arrangements have different evidence and application requirements.Â
Extra time has more specific criteria.
For candidates with learning difficulties requiring 25% extra time, current JCQ rules require particular combinations of standardised evidence alongside centre-based evidence of need and normal way of working.Â
So a diagnosis alone is not the assessment. And a single low score alone is not the whole picture.
In Ireland
Irish schools operate under the State Examinations Commission’s Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme.
Schools should follow the current SEC criteria and application procedures rather than assuming that UK JCQ arrangements apply in Ireland. The RACE scheme is also currently undergoing review, and 2026 introduced an interim additional-time measure for certain candidates already receiving qualifying RACE accommodations.
For teachers, the practical lesson is the same in both systems:
Start noticing and documenting need early. Don’t wait until the student is approaching their final examinations before asking how they normally work.
Look beyond the handwriting
Dyspraxia can be easy to misunderstand in a secondary classroom because teachers rarely see the whole student experience at once.
The English teacher sees slow writing. The maths teacher sees unfinished questions. The PE teacher sees coordination difficulties. The science teacher sees problems handling equipment. The form tutor sees forgotten books and missed deadlines.
Each observation tells only part of the story.
The value comes from bringing those observations together. And perhaps the most important shift is moving away from asking:
“Why isn’t this student trying harder?” towards: “What is making this task harder for this student, and what can we change?”
For a student with DCD, reducing an unnecessary barrier does not lower expectations. It can give them a fairer opportunity to show what they actually know.
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Understanding why a learner is struggling often requires more than noticing the difficulty. It requires knowing how to gather evidence, interpret assessment information and connect the findings with what teachers see in the classroom.
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