05 December 2007

Ed Balls today announced a new scheme to help children who have dyslexia, identified through the 'Every Child a Reader' programme.

As part of a package of measures to improve support for children with dyslexia, with an additional £1m a year for the next three years, the pilot scheme will provide intensive support for children in 10 local authority areas.

Half the children will receive additional one-to-one 'Reading Recovery' support and the other half will receive one-to-one tuition from specialist dyslexia teachers. Their improvement will be closely monitored for progress. If specialist provision demonstrates significant impact, ministers will look at how assessment and specialist dyslexia support could be rolled out nationwide as best practice.

In addition to this, further action to encourage best practice in improving outcomes for children and young people with dyslexia announced today, are:

- providing Dyslexia Action with funding of £250,000 over three years so they can run 'Partnership for Literacy' pilots (also entailing specialist dyslexia tuition) in a further 10 schools; and

- providing the British Dyslexia Association with funding of £150,000 over the next two years to develop their helpline which provides advice about dyslexia, including to teachers and parents.

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said:
"In the past a grave lack of understanding about dyslexia left some highly intelligent young people branded as 'backwards' simply because they had some difficulties in reading or articulating themselves through writing.

"Those days are largely gone, but there are still some old stigmas around and still not enough widespread understanding of dyslexia and support for the individuals who experience it. This condition should not hinder young people's education and life chances. Sadly, it all too often does.

"We need to be better at identifying pupils with dyslexia and then supporting them. Dyslexia is a particular need that needs particular attention. This package of measures I'm announcing today will help give parents and teachers more information, help identify pupils with dyslexia and assess the impact on their progress of support from specialist dyslexia teachers by running pilots of one-to-one tuition across a range of schools.

"However, I want all schools to look closely at the support they offer for dyslexia, check that they are giving the most appropriate support available and try to identify dyslexia where it may occur."

Kate Griggs of No to Failure and Xtraordinary People, said:

"We welcome the Government's recognition that dyslexia is a serious issue for the education system, and one which requires real action. These pilots are a helpful start, and we look forward to working with the DCSF to make sure our schools have dyslexia specialist teachers who can help dyslexic children succeed and achieve their potential."

Ken Follett, award winning writer and President of Dyslexia Action, said:

"This kind of help can transform the lives of children who struggle to learn to read because of dyslexia - as I know from my work with Dyslexia Action, from 10 years as a governor of Roebuck School in Stevenage and from the experiences of my own family."

Judi Stewart, Chief Executive of the British Dyslexia Association, said:

"The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) welcomes The Secretary of State's interest and understanding of the needs of children who are dyslexic. The BDA Helpline is often inundated with calls and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to build our service. The right support and information can make the difference between a child who feels frustrated and excluded and one who feels confident and able to manage their dyslexia."

Sally Coates, Headteacher of Sacred Heart Secondary School, said:

"We are delighted that the Secretary of State, Ed Balls, is visiting Sacred Heart RC School, as we are very proud of the achievement of all our pupils, particularly those with special educational needs. The 'Say No To Failure' project at our school gives pupils with dyslexia real strategies to overcome their learning difficulties."

Children and young people with dyslexia can become frustrated and disillusioned - often wrongly assuming they lack the aptitude to succeed. Yet there is evidence showing that young people with dyslexia can achieve the same as or more than their peers if they are supported properly and the condition is identified early enough.

Ken Follet and Ed Balls will visit the Sacred Heart Secondary School in Southwark where they will meet children with dyslexia who are receiving specialist dyslexia tuition (through the 'No to Failure' project) and some teachers who are currently being trained to become dyslexia specialists.

Editor's Notes

1. We are providing the British Dyslexia Association with funding of £150,000 over the next two years to develop their helpline. This will enable them to expand their information and advice service to parents and teachers, who want to know more about best practice in identifying and supporting children who may have dyslexia.

2. We are providing Dyslexia Action with funding of £250,000 over 3 years, so they can run Partnership for Literacy pilots in a further 10 schools. These pilots include evaluating the impact of specialist tuition on the progression of children with dyslexia - contributing to evidence of best practice.

3. We are developing a pilot project which will evaluate the impact of specialist dyslexia tuition on the attainment of children who have been identified through the Every Child a Reader programme as needing further support. We will make a more detailed announcement about this early next year.

4. Dyslexia Action is already running Partnership for Literacy (PfL) pilots in 17 primary schools (8 since January 2006 and a further 9 since September this year). Partnership for Literacy is an early intervention programme to identify and support children with dyslexia in primary schools. It uses evidence-based models of best practice in the classroom, whilst at a whole school level aiming at increasing awareness, understanding and skills of school staff, governors and parents.

5. As well as providing specialist support to children identified in Years 1 to 5 as being at risk of literacy failure, and tracking their subsequent progress, the project provides apprentice-style training for teachers and teaching assistants, enabling them to sustain the approach after withdrawal of Dyslexia Action specialist tutors.

6. Every Child a Reader (ECAR) is a three year pilot (now in its final year) helping 5,000 six year-olds with significant literacy difficulties to learn to read - by placing highly skilled 'Reading Recovery' teachers into schools to provide intensive support to children most in need.

7. On 26 September, the Secretary of State announced we will invest £144 million over the next three years into rolling out nationally the Every Child a Reader (ECAR) and Every Child Counts (ECC) programmes. By 2011, 30,000 seven-year-olds who need help with maths and 30,000 six-year-olds who have difficulty reading will get intensive one-to-one tuition through ECC and ECAR each year.

8. All local authorities, schools and early years settings must have regard to the SEN Code of Practice which provides advice on carrying out statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for pupils' special educational needs. Children with dyslexia should have their needs identified and support put in place.

9. Local authorities' planned spending on SEN stood at almost £4.9 billion in 2007-08, up from almost £2.8 billion in 2000-01. Indicative SEN funding in mainstream schools rose by 52% from almost £1.3 billion in 2003-04 to over £2.0 billion in 2007-08 and school budgets for special schools rose by 31% from almost £1.1 billion to over £1.4 billion over the same period.

10. The No to Failure project is jointly organised by the British Dyslexia Association (BDA), Xtraordinary People (XP), Dyslexia Action, the Professional Association for Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (PATOSS) and DCSF. The project is trailblazing (and evaluating the impact of) specialist tuition with children with dyslexia in some schools in 3 local authority areas and publicising the importance of schools engaging in best practice when working with children with dyslexia. We are providing funding of up to £900,000 over 3 financial years.

Contact Details

Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

Press Notice 2007/0232