Why dyslexia training is important to anyone working in education and training

Three reasons why dyslexia training is important to anyone working in education and training:

The importance of high quality professional development in relation to the development of inclusive educational practise has been identified in numerous pieces of research. But with budgets tighter than ever it's easy to forget how invaluable quality CPD is.

Here are 3 straightforward reasons why dyslexia training is vital for all involved in education or training:

Around three pupils in every class will be dyslexic

Ten percent of the population are dyslexic; four percent severely so. This means that on average in a class of 30 pupils there are at least three who have dyslexic-type difficulties and for one it will be severe, requiring specialist intervention and access arrangements for assessment. This makes dyslexia the highest incidence SpLD/SEND.

Therefore, without informed, effective support and appropriate teaching one in ten pupils may not be receiving an accessible education.

Poorly supported dyslexia can lead to poor behaviour

Dyslexia doesn’t directly cause behavioural issues but when missed or poorly supported, it can lead to disruptive behaviour and in extreme cases exclusions.

The recent Timpson Review of School Exclusions showed those with SEN but not an EHCP are 3.5 times more likely to be excluded. If dyslexics were diagnosed early and supported effectively, 2,400 fewer dyslexics could be permanently excluded per year and 120,000 fewer could be subject to a fixed-term exclusion, resulting a 31 percent reduction in all exclusions.

With an ever-stronger focus on behaviour, schools wanting to prevent disruptive behaviour need to invest now in training staff to identify likely dyslexic pupils and how to appropriately support them.

Correct intervention can make the difference between a pass and fail for dyslexic pupils

New analysis of Department for Education data by Coventry University PhD student Angela Thompson shows that in 2018, 70.6 per cent of learners who do not have SEN achieved grades 9-4 – the all-important good pass – in GCSE English and maths, compared with only 35 percent of learners with dyslexia or another specific learning difficulty achieving the same level.

Underlying ability isn’t affected by dyslexia and with the correct interventions, young dyslexics stand as good a chance of achieving those good pass grades as their peers. For a school looking to increase the numbers of pupils that are achieving good passes in key subjects, training staff to spot dyslexia indicators and support dyslexic pupils is an easy win.