As a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in a primary school, your role
is pivotal in shaping the educational journeys of all students. Among the most crucial
responsibilities is the early identification and support of pupils with Specific Learning
Difficulties (SpLDs), particularly dyslexia. Proactive screening is not merely an
optional extra; it is a fundamental requirement rooted in both educational best
practice and legal mandates, designed to ensure every child has the opportunity to
achieve their full potential.
Why Early Screening is Non-Negotiable: The Legal
and Educational Imperative
The need for early and accurate identification stems from both the Special
Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice (2015) and the Equality Act (2010).
The SEND Code of Practice: ‘Best Endeavours’
The SEND Code of Practice is clear: all schools must use their ‘best endeavours’ to
secure the special educational provision for pupils for whom they are responsible.
This starts with identification. Dyslexia, defined as a specific learning difficulty that
primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling,
requires special educational provision when it results in a child having a significantly
greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others their age.
Waiting for a child to fail significantly before acting is contrary to the spirit of the
Code. Early screening allows you to move swiftly into the ‘Assess, Plan, Do,
Review’ cycle of SEN Support, ensuring that interventions are put in place before
the achievement gap widens excessively.
The Equality Act: Reasonable Adjustments
Under the Equality Act 2010, dyslexia is often considered a disability because it can
have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out
normal day-to-day activities, such as reading and writing. This places an
anticipatory duty on schools to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils.
Early identification through screening is the crucial first step that allows you to
anticipate and provide these reasonable adjustments, ensuring the pupil is not
treated unfavourably and has full access to the curriculum and school life.
The Window of Opportunity
Beyond the legal duty, the educational importance of early identification is
paramount. Research consistently shows that the achievement gap between typical
readers and those with dyslexia emerges as early as Year 1. During the early years
of primary school, the brain’s plasticity is at its peak, making it the optimal time for
phonics-based and multi-sensory interventions to effectively ‘rewire’ the neural
pathways involved in reading and language processing. Early identification through
screening can be life-changing, preventing a negative cycle of low self-esteem,
disengagement, and academic struggle that can otherwise persist into adulthood.
The Power of Specialist Screening Tests
While classroom observation and in-school monitoring are essential, they can only
indicate a risk or potential difficulty. To gain deeper insight and a higher probability of
dyslexia indicators, you should look to specialist, validated screening tools.
Promoting Specialist Screening: The Indigo Dyslexia Centre Model
In Norfolk, the Indigo Dyslexia Centre in Norwich offers specialised screening that
can be highly beneficial for primary-aged pupils, typically from age seven upwards
(Year 3). Our advanced screenings go beyond simple reading checks, exploring a
child’s profile in key areas related to dyslexia:
- Phonics and Literacy Attainment: Assessing current reading and spelling
skills. - Phonological Awareness: The crucial ability to recognise and manipulate
the sounds in spoken language. - Verbal Memory and Working Memory: Key cognitive areas that impact the
ability to follow instructions and hold information. - Processing Speed: How quickly a child can carry out cognitive tasks.
A screening test from a qualified specialist, such as those at the Indigo Centre,
provides a reliable probability of dyslexia and, critically, offers a roadmap of the
child’s unique profile of strengths and weaknesses. This information is far more
detailed than general classroom data and allows you to pinpoint where special
educational provision is needed most effectively. Crucially, while a screening does
not provide a formal diagnostic assessment, it offers a solid, evidence-based
platform for moving directly to targeted intervention.
Practical Interventions to Implement In-School
Once specialist screening has authenticated a child’s difficulties and provided their
profile, your role as SENCO shifts to ensuring effective, evidence-based
interventions are immediately implemented. These should be part of your school’s
SEN Support provision, structured, and regularly reviewed.
- Multi-Sensory, Structured Phonics Programmes
The core of effective dyslexia intervention is a Multi-Sensory, Structured,
Cumulative, and Sequential (MSSCS) approach to phonics and literacy.
– Multi-Sensory: Interventions must engage visual, auditory, and
kinaesthetic/tactile senses simultaneously. For example, a child sees the
letter, says the sound, and writes it in the air or in sand (‘Hear it, Say it, See
it, Write it’).
– Structured and Cumulative: The teaching must follow a clear, logical
sequence, ensuring one skill is mastered before moving to the next. New
learning must regularly revisit and reinforce previously learned skills
(overlearning is key for automaticity).
– Intervention Delivery: These programmes are most effective when delivered
intensively (ideally daily), either one-to-one or in very small groups, by a well-
trained adult. Resources like fully decodable texts should be used to allow
children to practice their phonics skills authentically. - Classroom and Access Adjustments
Reasonable adjustments within the mainstream classroom are essential to ensure
the child can access the curriculum alongside their peers.
| Area of Difficulty | Classroom Strategy / Reasonable Adjustment |
| Reading | Use coloured overlays (if beneficial post-screening), provide audiobooks or text-to-speech software, and avoid asking the pupil to read aloud spontaneously. |
| Writing & Recording | Allow the use of a laptop or tablet for all written work, reduce the volume of note-taking required, and provide pre-printed lesson summaries/handouts to minimise copying. |
| Memory & Organisation | Chunk instructions into smaller, manageable steps, use visual timetables and checklists, and provide structured support for recording homework/key dates (e.g., using a planner). |
| Processing Speed | Allow extra time for processing verbal instructions and completing tasks. Check for understanding by asking the child to repeat instructions back in their own words. |
- Assistive Technology Integration
Introduce relevant assistive technology early to promote independence:
– Speech-to-Text Software: To help with written output.
– Mind-Mapping Software: To help with planning and organising thoughts,
which is often a strength for dyslexic learners.
– Digital Recorders: To record verbal instructions or lesson summaries for later
review.
By embracing early, specialist screening as exemplified by the work of centres like
the Indigo Dyslexia Centre and immediately following up with high-quality, targeted
interventions and reasonable adjustments, you fulfil your legal obligations and, more
importantly, empower your primary pupils with dyslexia to become confident,
successful learners. Proactivity is the foundation of inclusive education.
