Dyslexia Friendly School

Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties

Mells Cof E First School has been recognised as an Inclusive Dyslexia Friendly School. Our staff have received additional training and developed awareness in how to identify potential signs of literacy difficulties and dyslexia, and what we can do about them. We are monitoring children making poor progress with literacy very closely.

We want every child who has a literacy difficulty to have the support that they need to make good progress. 

Click here for more information about Dyslexia and what can be done to support your children.

 

At Mells C of E First school we are committed to working with all children in order to help them achieve their best.

The following points underpin teaching and learning throughout the school.

• All teachers have responsibility for pupils with SEN, and it is the class teacher’s responsibility to assess, plan and track progress of all children in their class, including ensuring that pupils with dyslexia and SPLD receive appropriate support and provision.
• Where relevant differentiated tasks will be planned to reflect the differing needs of pupils, which take into account learning styles, current reading and recording ability and general ability.
• Children will be taught about effective learning, and encouraged to think about how they can learn best.
• Teacher expectations will reflect the difficulties children with Dyslexia and SPLD face, for example by providing additional thinking and recording time.
• Class teachers will provide desktop aids ( Help Boxes) available on tables, and will encourage children to access these to resolve difficulties as a first step.
• The ‘Mells Helping Hand’ will be used throughout the school as a model for developing independent learning, simplified for those children in reception.
• Class teachers will consider whether writing frames or other alternatives such as cloze procedure, sentence sorts, story maps or labelled pictures and diagrams would be a better way of recording than writing, particularly outside of literacy lessons, as a way of showing what pupils with Dyslexia and SPLD know, understand and can do.
• Interactive whiteboards will be set with off white or pastel coloured backgrounds. To overcome difficulties created by the buildings, children will have steps available to access the board for interactive activities.
• Teachers will ensure that pupils, particularly those with SPLD and dyslexia, are seated in positions where they can clearly see information on the whiteboard.
• Where worksheets are used, they should be picture supported, with simple text and an appropriate font, eg Sassoon Infant. There should be space around written text and the worksheet must not be too busy.
• Classroom displays will as far as possible include captions on cream card or paper, resources will be clearly labelled with picture / symbol support.
• Children with significant literacy difficulties will be offered interventions to help them to catch up. These will follow recommended practice and be delivered in 10 week blocks with review and evaluation of progress. Parents will be invited to attend discussions with teachers in order to review and plan going forwards the support a child with Dyslexia/SPLD needs if they are on the SEN register.
• Staff will receive training on dyslexia, particularly when they are new to the school.