Gads Hill School pupil from Holborough Lakes, Snodland, accepted into Mensa for high IQ score

A 10-year-old has been invited to join the largest high-IQ society in the world after discovering her extraordinary intelligence during a dyslexia test.

Poppy O’Malley-Flack has an IQ of 136, placing her in the top 1%, and has become a member of Mensa.

The Year 6 student at Gads Hill School, in Higham, was referred for the dyslexia test by her 11 Plus tutor, who realised she was struggling with spelling.

The three-hour exam found that the youngster from Holborough Lakes did have dyslexia, but also had a high IQ, which allowed her to mask her difficulties and find ways around them.

Her mum, Lucy O’Malley-Flack, explained that Poppy had found ways to remember words rather than learn how to spell them using phonics.

She added: “We were joking that she should be part of Mensa and not really thinking much about it, but I sent the report through, and she was accepted.

“We did not expect it. She went into a dyslexia test and came out as part of Mensa.”

Lucy said her daughter is “twice exceptional”, and although she knew she was clever, she was not expecting her to have such a high IQ.

She added: “We knew she was bright and intelligent, and she was really good at The 1% Club TV show.

“But, she is not a bookworm and does not go up to her room and study all night. She is just a normal child.

“We were shocked and surprised, but are really proud of her and excited about what her future could be.

“She is so proud of herself. It gave her a lot of confidence going into her 11 Plus test.”