About The Hampstead Dyslexia Clinic

A little bit about our dyslexia specialists Delia and Seth, as well as the fascinating history of the late Renee Maria Lawton-Browne and the founding of our clinic.

Delia Gascoigne

Delia began her working life in 1993 as a freelance broadcast journalist for BBC Radio 2, after graduating from Leeds University with a BA Hons in Italian and Philosophy. She went on to study for a post-grad certificate in teaching children with learning difficulties at the Hampstead Dyslexia Clinic. After getting married to Seth in 1998, the couple moved to New York.

Here Delia worked as a specialist teacher at the Allegro School for children on the the Autistic Spectrum (ASD), a role that allowed her a creative outlet for teaching real-life skills, touch- typing, maths and English.

Delia returned to the UK in 2005 and began working alongside her mother, Renee, whilst studying for a Masters in Learning and Disability Studies at UCL's Institute of Education for which she gained a distinction. In 2009, she went onto gain her Certificate in Psychometric Testing, Assessment and Access Arrangements (CPT3A) from Real Training.

Upon Renee's passing, Delia continued to run the business with her father, William, and her husband, Seth, and in 2014 they moved the Clinic to their new home in Finchley Central.

With over 25 years working in this field, Delia offers consultancy services, assessments and lessons to those with Dyslexia.

'The ripple effect has been huge! All these years later, we still get contacted by former students who were once assessed or taught by my late Mum, Dr Joan Mushin, Diane Rees or Chavi Sharma, who are still teaching with us, 25-plus years later. If dyslexia is really all about thinking differently, then HDC has always been and will continue to be a place where difference is celebrated and dyslexics are championed as creative thinkers.'

Seth Gascoigne

Seth is a fun-loving and energetic character who has always been interested in maths, logic and games. He graduated in 1993 from the University of Hartford, Connecticut, USA as an Honours Student with a BSc in Business Administration, with a focus in Finance and Economics. He then worked in the finance industry in the UK until he married Delia and moved to New York to work on the New York Stock Exchange.

After 9/11, he changed careers and qualified as a quantity surveyor before moving back to London and finishing his PG. Diploma in Surveying at the University of Reading.

After the death of his mother-in-law, Renee, he decided to join Delia in the family business. He qualified in 2010 as a specialist teacher and member of the Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (PATOSS), gaining his PG. Dip. RSA (OCR 7), with a focus on dyscalculia and Maths learning difficulties. He also acquired an Assessment Practising Certificate (APC).

He now teaches students from primary school age up to GCSEs in Maths, works as a specialist teacher and consultant in dyslexia and provides Access Arrangements and Full Diagnostic Assessments, in schools and privately.

Delia and Seth's daughters, Eden and Beatrice, both of whom have been identified with dyslexia, enjoy working with them on courses, as do past students who return to gain vital work experience.

'Helping to build confidence in children who can then go on to achieve their dreams is the most exciting and rewarding profession I have ever had.'

The Foundation of The Hampstead Dyslexia Clinic in London

Renata (Renee) Maria Lawton-Browne

BA., Dip. Ed., P.G.C.E., AMBDA

11th September 1933 - 13th July 2008

A brief history of the clinic and the life of our founder

Renee was born in Berlin, the first of three children, into a loving and close-knit family. The Besag family was well established in Berlin and Baden-Baden. Her father was of ancient Jewish descent, tracing his ancestry back to the 15th century (although a Christian himself). He married Herta, from Silesia, Germany, whose family had a strong military and public service background.

After Hitler came to power, they were obliged to flee to the Netherlands and later, in 1939, to Australia. Renee’s father was able to continue his work as a consulting engineer for a short time before his death. Her mother then took various menial jobs to feed the three children before finding that she could work in her previous profession as a school teacher. She was appointed to a post in the very prestigious Melbourne Church of England Girl's Grammar School, eventually rising to the Head of Arts and Crafts.

Renee's formative years

From the very beginning of her school career, Renee was an excellent scholar and, with much hard work and dedication, she was awarded a coveted scholarship to McRobertson Girl’s High School. On leaving school, she followed in the footsteps of her mother and found her vocation in teaching, studying part time at Melbourne University for her B.A. in English. Renee had many great stories of her first teaching positions in the outback in 'Educational Priority Schools' ('slum schools') and 'Bush Schools', where the parents were regularly responsible for clearing the snakes out of the children's playground. She went on to take up a teaching position at Mount Scopus School, the largest private Jewish school in the Southern Hemisphere.

In 1960, Renee gained a scholarship to the Albert Schweitzer College in Switzerland where she studied philosophy, German and French. It was here that she met and fell in love with William. They married soon after college in 1962 and lived in North London, Crouch End/Muswell Hill, before moving to the Garden Suburbs.

Meeting the challenges presented by "an unrecognised condition"

Renee's interest in dyslexia began when Mark, her first child, was identified as having dyslexia. This little-known condition meant that the search for a school which would address his specific needs was a long and tiring one. In order to gain a better understanding of dyslexia and help other children like her son, Renee began her post graduate studies in 1979 at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital's Dyslexia Unit, under the renowned Dr. Beve Hornsby. After leaving, she approached the ILEA to start a dyslexia unit at the primary school where she was the Deputy Head (Duncombe Infants Primary School in Islington). She was told that it would not be possible because it was not a recognised condition. This gave her the impetus she needed to start her own - Hampstead Dyslexia Clinic and Centre for Learning Difficulties - in the autumn of 1984.

The clinic evolved from one teacher to a staff of 25, and Renee worked tirelessly - teaching children of all ages, as well as training the next generation of therapists with her wonderful skills of gentleness and enthusiasm. Her loving nature was known to all those who knew her, including of course, her husband, and her children, Mark, Delia and Raphaela, and her family and friends.

Artwork by Mark Lawton-Browne

Reneé's son, who was the inspiration behind the Hampstead Dyslexia Clinic.

An aptitude for the arts and a passion for helping others

In her youth, Renee also trained as a dancer in the Martha Graham tradition, as well as being an accomplished pianist and, to her great regret, a poor violinist. Another great joy was her piano accordion with which she often entertained her friends at after dinner parties. She could sing in five languages, Russian and German songs being her particular favourites. Renee also had other creative gifts including painting, and a small folio of the most exquisite lyrical poetry. For those who knew her, there was another great love, the culinary arts. Renee was a big 'foodie' enthusiast who loved cooking for her family and friends and enjoyed travelling abroad, to sample different cuisine, as well as experience different cultures. Brought up in a land of sportsmen, Renee freely admitted that she was incredibly bad at sports – always the last. “I was always the last in every race but I always finished the race,” she would say.

Renee felt an incredible responsibility to give her all to those less fortunate than herself. She felt strongly about the injustices in society and made it a point not to 'sweat the small stuff'. A maxim was 'not to allow the behaviour of others to influence yours'. Renee also had an incredibly strong relationship with God, which sustained her through her life, her work, the terrible loss of her beloved Raphaela and her years to the end.

"I've had a good life," she would always say; "I have had my teaching, I have had my family beside me and I have lived to see my grandchildren and, most of all, I have been surrounded by love. For that I am so thankful."

Changing History

Articles and Newspaper clippings from the last 40 years...

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