Private Dyslexia Tutor - Attending school during school hours. Help with costs?

[Awcw1234]

My 8 year old daughter has recently been diagnosed with Dyslexia. One of the recommendations within her report was to hire a specialist Dyslexia tutor.

Her school have recommended one that attends the school during school hours. She currently supports two other children. I have spoken to this tutor and she is able to help my daughter but it isn't cheap. I'm looking at around £200 per month.

Obviously I want to do the best for my daughter but we are going to struggle to find £200 per month for this private tutoring. Is there any sort of help I can get with this?

I've never come across private tutors supporting dyslexic children at school during school hours 🤔 Is it a private school?

Does she have an EHCP?

No, not a private school. Just a small Primary school with very little funding :(

And no, she doesn't have an EHCP? She has only just been diagnosed with Dyslexia. She had a private assessment. Could I get a EHCP? She only has Dyslexia, no other learning disability.

Should have clarified that three of my children are dyslexic, diagnosed at a similar age. None of their reports recommended a dyslexia tutor, despite varying levels of need...

That’s what we pay, but we have to travel for it too. Painful…
It made a massive difference for my daughter. Less for my son, so far.

One of my dyslexics has an EHCP, but he is also autistic and has ADHD. It's quite a gruelling process and we didn't even consider it for his older brother (and won't for his younger, unless he presents any additional additional needs).

I can't get a formal assessment for Dts so you're doing well to have got this far (happy to pay private but ridiculous waiting lists or go to wales or Scotland which we are actually considering). If there's someone available I'd pay the £200. School won't fund it.

The school will receive funding to support pupils with SEN, but it is up to them how that is allocated. We were very lucky with the boys' primary school that they placed high importance on SEN support, so there were lots of small groups and programmes to support dyslexic learners, but I know that is not universal. There is no extra funding pot for things like tutors, sadly.

There are benefits to your daughter being tutored in school - she'll be less tired and the tutor can communicate with her teacher. £50ph is fairly reasonable (probably partly because of being seen in school - they don't have to pay room costs.)

Presumably she won't be tutored during school holidays, so don't forget to factor that into your costings.

Ask the school to apply to the local authority for funding.

A learning disability is not necessary for an EHCP, however any learning difficulty or area of need which requires interventions above the typical should be in a learning plan.

The school may have a small budget and be refusing/unable to fund a private tutor but if this has been reccomended by a professional the school can apply to the local authority for funding. They may be declined if their Sen budget is not yet exhausted or your child's needs are not judged to need this level of intervention.

Is it an hour a week? If so, I don't think that will make much difference on it's own as intervention really has to be short bursts almost daily, if not twice daily to work well.

If the tutor is going to set homework, so you have to work with DD yourself every day anyway, you might as well start with trying tutoring her yourself using a well-established programme. I can vouch for Sound Foundations (Apples and Pears and Bear Necessities). They are easy for a parent to deliver as everything you need is in the pack and the sessions are scripted out. I've seen it repeatedly get good results.

Maybe worth a try before parting with money that is hard to find.

Sorry I'd just like to add that if the local authority and school won't find it then your only other option is to find a very specific charity which will cover it or pay yourselves.

We have paid for occupational therapy in clinic and school and educational psychologist reports at a total cost of £4.5k, as school would not contribute as their budget was exhausted for the year.

It's more common for parents to fund learning interventions than you would think.

Hello. We didn’t get an assessment through the school. We had to pay £400 to have a private assessment.

Thank you. I will speak to the school headteacher and see what she says.

Thank you. I will look into those programmes.

Yes, just an hour a week but she is having interventions at school with teaching assistants etc.

Many LAs now only fund children with EHCPs. A dyslexic child with a private diagnosis would not have got close to funding even before that where I am.

Did the report really suggest a private tutor not strategies? It just seems a little off that a private assessment suggested a private tutor... Does the assessor have links to the tutors?

Hello,

The private assessor works for a Dyslexia Centre. They are part of the Dyslexia Association. This centre does offer private tuition though.

Do you not think it is worth asking the school for funding or applying for an EHCP then?

I think if you think your child would benefit from an EHCP you should start the assessment yourself. A parent can instigate - it doesn't have to be school. School EHCP assessments are generally only accepted with an EP report and I'm afraid we would prioritise EP observing the children who put staff and children at risk of harm over a dyslexic child (I know that sounds glib, but that it the honest situation). We get a very limited number of EP hours annually. Where I am, there would be absolutely no other funding available - it is so very far from what would qualify for funding even 10 years ago I'm afraid. I'm sure around 10% of the general population is dyslexic. As a general rule, funding for a learning disability use to apply for a child working at pre-Y1 levels in Y6. I hope you can find a way to support your child; I'm sorry my experience is all doom and gloom, but it is honest.