Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) early identification and (b) support for children with dyslexia in primary schools in rural areas.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that all pupils, including those with dyslexia or other types of SEND, are given the best possible opportunity to achieve. To support all teachers, the department is implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of Early Career Teacher Training to develop training materials that support the needs of children with SEND.

We recognise that the early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with dyslexia, and measures have been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. West Dorset's nearest English Hub is The Cornerstone English Hub.

Whilst the department has not made an assessment of dyslexia provision in West Dorset, the Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to keep the provision for children and young people with SEND under review (including its sufficiency), working with parents, young people, and providers. Where a local area does not meet its duties, we can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement.