Dyslexia

(asked on 26th November 2014) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average age was of people diagnosed with dyslexia in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Pendle constituency in each of the last three years.


Answered by
Edward Timpson Portrait
Edward Timpson
This question was answered on 3rd December 2014

The Department for Education does not collect specific information on the numbers of children diagnosed with dyslexia but we do publish information on pupils with specific learning difficulties as collected via the School Census and this grouping will include children whose primary needs is dyslexia. Data separating dyslexia from other forms of specific learning difficulties is not available. The answer therefore provides data on pupils identified with specific learning difficulties.

At present only those with a statement or on ‘School Action Plus’ need to provide their type of special educational need (SEN) but those on ‘School Action’ do not, which means this will not give complete coverage.

However, under the new SEN and disability reforms, which came into force on 1 September 2014, schools are required to provide data on type of needs for all children identified with SEN.

The information in the tables below has been taken from the Statistical First Releases ‘Special educational needs in England: January 2012 to 2014’.[1]

When completing their School Census data return, schools are required to identify the primary type of need and the secondary type of need, information on the primary type of need is given below.

2014

Primary schools

Secondary Schools

Special Schools

England

29,835

36,565

1,155

North West

4,865

4,740

215

Lancashire

517

528

31

2013

Primary schools

Secondary Schools

Special Schools

England

30,360

39,205

1,090

North West

4,795

5,445

175

Lancashire

571

735

29

2012

Primary schools

Secondary Schools

Special Schools

England

31,580

41,940

1,055

North West

4,940

5,775

145

Lancashire

737

796

27

Figure 1: Number with primary need type of specific learning difficulty, by type of school, region and Local Authority (those with a statement or on school action plus – not collected for those on school action)

2014

Total number of children

Average age

School Action Plus

57,505

10.7

Statement

10,045

11.8

All

67,550

10.9

2013

Total number of children

Average age

School Action Plus

60,180

10.9

Statement

10,480

11.9

All

70,660

10.9

2012

Total number of children

Average age

School Action Plus

63,695

10.8

Statement

10,880

11.9

All

74,575

11.0

Figure 2: Number with primary need type of specific learning difficulty and average age (type of need not collected for those on school action).

[1] www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2014

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