New report reveals dyslexic children are invisible in most English local authorities
Tuesday 3 February 2026
Thousands of dyslexic children across England are being left unidentified and unsupported due to major gaps in local authority data and guidance, according to our new report.
The report, Lost in the system: Councils’ blind spot on dyslexia, finds that despite dyslexia affecting an estimated 900,000 children in schools, around three in every classroom, fewer than 2% of local authorities can say how many dyslexic children live in their area. Only three councils were able to report figures at all, highlighting what the BDA describes as a widespread lack of visibility.
Where data does exist, reported numbers fall far below the expected prevalence rate of one in ten, suggesting many dyslexic children remain unidentified and are missing out on support. The report also reveals sharp variation in how local authorities approach dyslexia. Some provide specialist guidance and employ educational psychologists or specialist teachers, while others leave responsibility entirely to schools or do not recognise dyslexia as a valid diagnostic term.
Fewer than half of local authorities employ specialist staff to assess and support dyslexic learners, and around a third provide no guidance at all on identifying or supporting dyslexia or wider literacy difficulties.
These inconsistencies have serious consequences for children’s outcomes. National figures show ongoing underachievement linked to literacy difficulties, with 26% of 11-year-olds leaving primary school in 2024 without meeting the expected reading standard.
Ellen Broomé, CEO of the British Dyslexia Association, said:
“Dyslexia cannot remain invisible in our schools. Without urgent action, thousands of dyslexic children will continue to be missed, left unsupported, and set up for ongoing educational failure.
We are calling on the government and local authorities to record dyslexia in education datasets so dyslexic children are no longer invisible in the system, and support can be properly planned and monitored. This would make sure dyslexic learners are visible, allowing local authorities and government to track outcomes, plan services, target support, and understand where provision is working or not. This is essential if we are serious about improving outcomes for dyslexic learners.”
Impact on children’s outcomes
- In 2025, only 21% of pupils with a Specific Learning Difficulty met the expected standard in English, reading, writing and maths by the end of Key Stage 2, compared to 74% of pupils with no recorded SEN.
- In 2023 to 2024, only one in five pupils with a Specific Learning Difficulty achieved a Grade 5 or above in GCSE English and Maths, compared with over half of pupils with no recorded SEN.
- Just 39.5% of pupils with an SpLD achieved a Grade 4 pass in English and Maths, compared with 72.3% of pupils without SEN.
We're calling for urgent action, urging government and local authorities to record dyslexia consistently in education datasets, arguing this would make dyslexic learners visible, allow outcomes to be tracked and ensure support is better targeted.