BDA response to the Curriculum and Assessment review call for evidence
Monday 18 November 2024
The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is pleased to be able to submit a response to the Curriculum & Assessment Review Call for Evidence. This is an important review which will hopefully lead to positive changes for children with dyslexia and dyscalculia, many of whom struggle to fully access the National Curriculum and are disadvantaged by the current assessment system. Around 10 per cent of pupils are dyslexic, meaning three in every classroom.
Our response focuses on evidence to support the experience and needs of those learners with dyslexia and dyscalculia accessing the National Curriculum and its assessment pathways. We have focused our response to those sections and questions which directly relate to learners with dyslexia or dyscalculia - section 3 on social justice and inclusion, and section 4 on ensuring an excellent foundation in maths and English.
Our key observations, concerns and recommendations are set out below. You can see our full response here
Key observations and concerns
Our key observations and concerns about the current national curriculum and assessment pathways are summarised below.
- The opportunity for early identification of learning differences such as dyslexia is missed in many schools.
- Classroom teachers and support staff lack knowledge about dyslexia, despite its high prevalence in any classroom.
- Schools lack access to specialist resources to help identify and support dyslexic children.
- Using Systematic, synthetic phonics (SSP)as the sole method to teach reading does not provide the right foundation and is not supported by research evidence.
- Assistive technology is not routinely being used in schools to support reading and spelling challenges and enable learners to independently access an age-appropriate curriculum.
- The format of GCSE examinations disadvantages dyslexic learners who have a comparative weakness in written ability compared to overall ability. Access arrangements do not mitigate this disadvantage.
- There is too much focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) in subjects which are not assessing English language ability.
- The curriculum is too narrow and there is a lack of alternative qualification pathways in secondary education for those unable to access GCSE examinations.
- The requirement to achieve a pass (grade 4 and above) in GCSE maths and English presents a barrier to accessing Level 3 qualifications.
Recommendations
As part of the outcome from this review we are asking the Government to:
- Introduce mandatory training on dyslexia and dyscalculia in Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD )for classroom teachers, support staff and Senior Leadership Teams.
- Ensure all teachers are trained in how to use adaptive teaching techniques to support dyslexic and dyscalculic children.
- Enable flexibility for schools to use other methods to support SSP in teaching reading and spelling.
- Ensure school performance data recognises schools that are welcoming and support those with special educational needs.
- Introduce explicit teaching of assistive technology such as screen reading in Key Stage 2 to help reading and spelling.
- Ensure schools have timely access to specialist resources to help identify and support dyslexic learners.
- Widen the scope of the curriculum and assessment at Key Stage 4 to provide earlier access to vocational pathways and functional skills alongside or in place of GCSE examinations.
- Allow flexibility to enable dyslexic and dyscalculic students to progress to Level 3 qualifications without a pass in GCSE maths and English where they meet the other entry requirements for a course.
- Revise T-Level content and offer these alongside, not instead of other vocational and technical qualifications pathways.
- Rethink the assessment techniques used in GCSE to better meet the needs of all learners.
- Remove spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) marks in GCSE exams that are not testing English language skills, or enable learners to use assistive technology to gain these marks.