Cheshire West accused of failing children with dyslexia

Lee Siddall, who sits on Northwich Town Council, made an FOI request to Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) after becoming concerned not enough was being done to help children.

Cllr Siddall, who has lived with the learning difficulty since he was at primary school, has previously spoken about how the importance of early diagnosis.

“I'm extremely disappointed to find out after submitting a FOI to CWAC that they do not collect any data on the number of children across the borough who suffer from dyslexia.

CWAC are failing children with dyslexia by grouping everyone with any neurodiversity under (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) SEND.

“At the very least, what our council should be doing is collecting information to be able to develop effective policy.

“It is up to our council and councillors to highlight failings in our educational system, but to do this, you need data to see where we are.”

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Cllr Siddall went on to say how just one in five children are diagnosed with the condition while at school.

“The others go through school thinking they are thick or stupid,” he added.

“Forty per cent of entrepreneurs have dyslexia, and it's not surprising that 50 per cent of offenders in prison also have dyslexia.

“All I’m asking CWAC to do is collect data on dyslexia in schools to see if enough is being done in this area.”

However, CWAC responded by confirming funding is provided to all schools to ensure they can identify and meet the needs of all children across the borough.

Cllr Bob Cernik, cabinet member for children and families

Councillor Robert Cernik, cabinet member for children and families, said: “This funding allows school staff to offer personalised support to pupils and make sure that they get the best start in life.

"We undertake a termly school census which records all children and young people with a specific learning difficulty, including dyslexia. All schools record information on pupils with special educational needs within their own systems.

“The breakdown of specific learning difficulty data is not required to be shared with the council.”

Cllr Cernik said all schools have access to a designated special educational needs co-ordinator and that the schools were responsible for monitoring children’s progress.

"Schools also have an SEN policy which includes advice and guidance around all types of needs including dyslexia,” he added.

“Where a young person’s identified needs cannot be met by school resources alone, the school can apply to the local authority SEN team for additional support."