Dyslexia

The most valuable thing a SENDCO does here is discrimination: this child cannot decode; this child decodes but cannot read fluently; this child reads accurately but does not understand because vocabulary and language are limited; this child can do all of it but cannot sustain attention long enough. Those four children look similar in a book scrutiny and need completely different provision.

• Word reading accuracy, tested separately from comprehension.
• Reading fluency, timed and compared over time.
• Phonic knowledge, checked against what has been taught.
• Phonological awareness, particularly in EYFS and KS1.
• Spelling, looking at the pattern of errors rather than the score.
• Listening comprehension, which separates word-level difficulty from language difficulty.
• Vocabulary and background knowledge.
• History: attendance, school moves, hearing, EAL, prior teaching.

The BPS position — that assessment should describe the difficulty and inform teaching, rather than function purely as a gatekeeping exercise — is the practical stance for schools. Whether or not a child meets a threshold, you still need to know exactly which skills are missing.

• Progress has stalled despite well-implemented, appropriately targeted teaching over a sustained period.
• The profile is uneven or puzzling in ways the school's assessment cannot explain.
• There are co-occurring concerns — language, attention, memory, coordination, or emotional wellbeing.
• Access arrangements or a statutory assessment are being considered.
• The family are pursuing assessment and need the school's evidence and view.

Formal identification of dyslexia is usually made by an educational psychologist or a specialist assessor holding an appropriate practising certificate. Be clear with families that schools do not diagnose, that availability varies locally, and that provision does not depend on the outcome.

• Wave 1 first: consistent phonics, fluency practice, vocabulary teaching and scaffolded writing across the curriculum.
• Named, specific adjustments — not "support with literacy" but what, when, and by whom.
• Adjustments applied in every subject, not only in English.
• Assistive technology introduced with training and used routinely, so it is normal by the time assessments matter.
• Explicit attention to wellbeing and self-concept, which is where the long-term damage accumulates.
• Transition information passed on properly, including what works, not only what the difficulty is.

1. NHSProfessional guidance
   Dyslexia in children

   Plain-English NHS information for families on what dyslexia is, what is commonly noticed, and where to go for help.

2. Sir Jim Rose / Department for Children, Schools and FamiliesProfessional guidance
   Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties (2009)

   The independent report that shaped English practice: dyslexia as difficulties in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling, best understood as a continuum rather than a category with a clear cut-off.

3. British Psychological SocietyProfessional guidance
   Dyslexia, Literacy and Psychological Assessment (1999, updated 2005)

   The BPS working party report for educational psychologists. Important for why assessment should describe literacy difficulties and what to teach, rather than only award or withhold a label.

4. Education Endowment FoundationResearch summary
   Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 — guidance report (2017, updated 2020)

   Recommendations on developing language, phonological awareness, systematic phonics, fluency and targeted support for struggling readers.

5. Education Endowment FoundationResearch summary
   Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 — guidance report (2017, second edition 2021)

   Reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension strategies, writing, and structured intervention for pupils who have fallen behind.

6. Education Endowment FoundationResearch summary
   Phonics — Teaching and Learning Toolkit

   Rated high impact for very low cost, based on very extensive evidence, with the largest effects for pupils who are struggling with early reading.

7. Education Endowment FoundationResearch summary
   Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools — guidance report (2020, updated 2021)

   High-quality teaching first, careful scaffolding, and cautious deployment of teaching assistants and technology.

8. Department for Education / University College LondonResearch summary
   Identifying and supporting children and young people with cognition and learning needs: a rapid evidence review (September 2025)

   DfE-commissioned UCL review. Carries an explicit disclaimer that it is not an endorsement and does not reflect government policy.

9. Department for EducationResearch summary
   Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group: report — recommendations for mainstream education (February 2026)

   Independent recommendations to DfE, including timely identification of strengths and needs in the setting rather than reliance on diagnostic queues.

10. Department for EducationStatutory guidance
    SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (2015)

    Current statutory guidance. Specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, sit within cognition and learning; provision follows identified need.