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.
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