Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to boost funding for research into (a) educational and (b) psychosocial support for young dyslexic people.

As part of proposed reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, the department is working in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to deliver new government-backed research on special educational needs (SEN) identification and support. This research will help strengthen the evidence base on early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and effective support for children and young people with SEN, with the aim of developing and rolling out approaches that can be integrated into education settings by 2028.

Effective early identification and intervention are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEN.

Through the department’s programme of SEND reform, we are working to improve access to support for children and young people with SEN, including those with dyslexia. This includes the development of National Inclusion Standards, informed by evidence, to support mainstream settings to meet children and young people's needs as early as possible. The department has also commissioned a new longitudinal study of children and young people with SEN to understand experiences and outcomes over time, including on support received in education.