See answers to previous information requests

1. Do the professionals working for your LA assess and identify dyslexia?
Wokingham LA have 1.6fte specialist teachers who make up the Learning Support service (LSS) who have the qualifications to assess and identify dyslexia, however their capacity is such that they do not “diagnose” dyslexia. The Learning Support service is needs led they observe and assess children in Wokingham Primary schools who experience difficulties acquiring literacy skills. They compose a report explaining their findings and offer recommendations for support, interventions, and strategies. The LSS staff offer continued support to the school staff supporting these children in the form of feedback and review meetings with parents, bespoke training sessions, support with the implementation of interventions and further reviews if required. The assessments available to LSS can investigate different literacy skills as well as some underlying difficulties, such as phonological awareness, processing skills and working memory.

2. Do you provide Practice Guidance or a policy for schools which sets out expectations for identifying and supporting dyslexic children?
There is practice guidance ‘SUPPORTING PUPILS WITH DYSLEXIA’ available to schools note this guidance is due for review and updating. LSS offer bespoke training to school staff s on supporting the needs of dyslexic children and offer bitesize training on updated information for supporting pupils with dyslexia.

3. Do you provide Practice Guidance or a policy for schools which sets out expectations for identifying and supporting children with literacy difficulties?
Yes, there is the ‘Ordinarily Available Provision’ which includes practice guidance for schools to identify and support children with literacy difficulties. Within that document, there are details of how to access support from LSS for training and advice, including assessments for individual children.

4. What terminology do you use to describe children in your schools who experience difficulties acquiring literacy skills.
‘Specific Literacy Difficulties’.

5. How do schools support children who have a confirmed diagnosis of dyslexia from an Educational Psychologist or Specialist Teacher Assessor.
Schools will support children with a confirmed diagnosis based on their needs identified in the assessor’s report. They will use some of the recommendations written in the report to support the children and can access further advice from LSS to support these children.

6. How many children in your local authority experience difficulties acquiring literacy skills?
Not centrally collected

7. How many children in your local authority have a diagnosis of dyslexia?
Not centrally collected

8. Can you provide data on how many children access SEN support for difficulties with literacy skills in a) primary and b) secondary school.
Not centrally collected

9. Can you provide data on how many children access SEN support for dyslexia in a) primary and b) secondary school.
Not centrally collected

10. How many children in your area have:
a) an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
b) dyslexia specified as a Special Educational Need in Section B of the EHCP
c) a Dyslexia Specialist School named in Section I of their EHCP?
Not centrally collected