Hi,
I’m a first-time poster but long-time lurker. We have a nine year-old DD (year four in a mainstream state primary school) who is showing some dyslexic traits, particularly with spelling. She is bright - very articulate, plays two musical instruments and reads music well, and her maths is at least meeting, if not exceeding, age-related expectations. She’s also very sporty.
A few weeks ago I contacted school, as her spelling difficulties seem to be getting worse, and she does show other signs of mild dyslexia, such as poor phonological awareness and word attack skills. However, she reads with fluency, although it isn’t her pastime of choice despite having been showered with books and read to daily, from birth. The SENCO replied and said that they would observe her, speak to her teacher, do some work with her, and then invite DH and myself in for a meeting after half term to look at next steps. We have heard nothing since, and according to DD the SENCO hasn’t spoken to her or been in her classroom recently. We’re doing lots at home to try to help, and we’re doing our best to keep it lighthearted and fun in order to build up her confidence.
I work in education, so I’m highly aware of the pressures schools are under, and know that DD’s needs are not as high as others’. I’m not trying to make this bigger than it is; it’s a very real challenge for DD, who is starting to struggle with confidence as she feels she isn’t making progress, but fully recognise the pressure staff are under and that there are only so many hours in a day. However, I am concerned that she is going to slip under the radar, particularly as she is incredibly well-behaved and does everything she’s asked to do, making the most of all of the opportunities school offers.
I don't want to make a nuisance of myself with her school, but equally want to ensure she is able to access additional support, including self-help through additional resources (she’s currently trying using overlays which we have bought for her to use, and she says this does help). The weeks are rolling by, and transfer to secondary is on the horizon although not imminent. She doesn’t cope well in noisy classrooms, and can’t bear it when other children don’t follow the rules and listen when they’re asked to do so. She loves to learn.
I really don’t know whether to contact the school again; continue working through the extra resources we have bought to use at home (CGP guides mainly); arrange for her to have additional tuition; or start to consider other schools (this has been building for a while). She would be sad to leave her current school, which is warm and nurturing but not always wonderfully organised, but in the long term may benefit from the smaller class sizes and additional support in an independent school, which we could consider if needed. I just feel she’s slipping through the net in the tragically overstretched and underfunded SEND system, where those with milder SpLD, if that’s what this is, often can’t receive any additional support because neither the time nor the money is available, so they simply need to find their own coping mechanisms. I fully recognise that there are children with much more severe needs than hers, but am also very aware that something isn’t quite right.
Thank-you so much for reading and for your thoughts and ideas.