Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help improve the rate of early diagnosis of dyslexia in children.

The department knows that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.

A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of both the reading framework and the writing framework, and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes for schools validated by the department.

We have also launched a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers: ‘Reading Ambition for All: teaching children who need the most support, including those with SEND’. Following this pilot year, we will be working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.