Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to introduce mandatory CPD for all teachers to enable them to (a) identify the common signs of dyslexia and (b) adapt their classroom teaching to support dyslexic children.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including pupils with dyslexia. In January, we announced the most ambitious SEND training offer ever seen in the English education system. Backed by £200 million, the new offer will cover children with SEND from 0 to 25. More details on the training are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/200-million-landmark-send-teacher-training-programme.

The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading. As part of teachers’ continuous professional development, the ‘Reading Ambition for All’ programme will improve outcomes for children in primary who need additional support.

The SEND code of practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child with SEN does not require a diagnostic label or test. Instead, we expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed.

To identify need, we are strengthening the evidence base to improve early identification in mainstream settings. Recently published evidence reviews will help drive inclusive practices, highlighting what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches.  The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that settings can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children and young people.

From 2024, the national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) became the mandatory qualification for SENCOs, supporting participants to develop the essential knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of SEND policy in schools and understand the conditions in which pupils with SEND can thrive.