The Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils

by Dr Harry Chasty

Updated by CReSTeD Council January 2001

Initially make sure that your child's special educational needs are fully known. These may be in:

1. basic skills of learning in fine motor control and short term memory;
2. language skills, ie word recognition, word attack skills, reading comprehension, spelling, and the expression of ideas in writing;
3. mental and written numeracy skills;
4. diminished social skills and self confidence resulting from prolonged failure;
5. speed of processing information;
6. organisation;
7. sequencing.

1. Every school is required to produce a prospectus: obtain and read this, seeking information on ethos, background, aims and academic practice.
2. Ask for copies of school's handouts and circulars to parents on special needs arrangements and provision. Ask about liaison with parents, eg frequency and style of reports, general communications.
3. Talk to parents you know with children at this school. The school should be willing to put you in touch with other parents of dyslexic children.

1. Talk to the Head to establish school's attitude to dyslexic children, and knowledge of your child's abilities and needs. Ask how the childrensí needs are met when they are in mainstream classes.
2. What does the head consider is the major problem faced by the school's special needs staff?
3. What is the size of the school and the average size of a class? Remember that a large and complex school structure, with groups greatly in excess of 20, will often provide very difficult learning conditions for SpLD (specific learning difficulties) students.
4. How many teachers specially trained to work with SpLD students are on the staff? Ask the Head to explain the teachersí qualifications, eg are they specifically for dyslexia or are they general special needs qualifications? Are they BDA (British Dyslexia Association) approved?
5. How many students are known to have SpLD? This enables some estimation of the demand for special teaching, which may determine the time available to meet your child's needs.

6. What is the school's Inset (Training) policy for

1. class teachers, and

2. special needs staff?

1. Is this the National Curriculum? If so, how rigid is the school's approach? Flexibility is more important than breadth. Right of access to the National Curriculum should contain, as a first priority, right of access to the skills necessary to benefit from it. How many GCSEís does a typical dyslexic pupil take?
2. What is the preferred teaching approach, if any: formal, informal, practical, topic based, or multi-sensory?
3. What access to and training for ICT (Information & Communications Technology) do dyslexic pupils have?
4. What arrangements can be made to make up teaching missed by late entry or through effects of SpLD?
5. Do students have regular access to computer, word processor, tape recorder?
6. Ask to see the homework / prep timetable and ask about how homework / prep is supported.

1. What is the attitude of non-specialist teachers to dyslexic pupils? How do they help these children in their classes?
2. Does the special needs department have its own accommodation, or does it use the classrooms of other departments, or other ad hoc arrangements? What is the status of the Head of Special Needs? (See criteria for categories.)
3. What resources and equipment are available?
4. How is special teaching delivered: in class, by withdrawal, individually or in a small group?
5. What learning skills development programmes and structured multi-sensory literacy and numeracy programmes are used?
6. Ask to see a typical IEP (Individual Education Programme). Ask about arrangements for Annual Reviews.

1. Check class sizes, note the sense of organisation and purpose in the ongoing activity.
2. Note the teaching methods being used in each class. Are they varied? Is there good visual support (clear notes on the board, use of videos, ICT, design of worksheets, readability of text books)? How much reading, note taking, copying, essay writing would be necessary for survival in that class?
3. Note any special arrangements in operation for individual children with special needs.
4. How sympathetic and knowledgeable is each class teacher towards the problems of the SpLD / dyslexic student?
5. Ask about dyslexic pupilsí access to extra-curricula activities. Is access restricted in any way, say by extraction for extra lessons?

You should now be able to answer these key questions:

1. How suitable is the school's policy and structure?
2. How appropriate are the buildings and resources?
3. How sympathetic are the staff?
4. How knowledgeable and well trained are they in understanding and providing for the education of dyslexia students?
5. How suitable is the general curriculum?
6. How detailed and individually appropriate is the special provision offered?

7. Remember that no school is 100% correct for every child. Look at the school as a whole and establish what strengths of your child would be nurtured there.

CReSTed Registered office:

Greygarth, Littleworth, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 5BT England

Tel: 01242 604852 

Email:  crested@crested.org.uk

Administrator: Christine Hancock

Registered Charity No. 1052103