What if School Is Not Following the Dyslexia Report Recommendations?
Updated: 7 days ago
Start by finding out what has and has not happened
A diagnostic report may contain several pages of recommendations, but a pupil's daily experience can remain unchanged. Before assuming that nothing has been done, ask the class teacher or SENCo what support is in place and how it relates to the report.
Some adjustments are not obvious at home; others may have been agreed but not communicated to every teacher. Make a short list of the recommendations most relevant to the child's present difficulties. Focus on what will improve access to learning, rather than expecting every suggestion to be adopted immediately.
Separate the underlying need from the suggested method
A report might recommend reducing copying from the board because the pupil struggles to listen, remember and transcribe simultaneously. The school could meet that need by providing lesson notes digitally or as a handout.
Similarly, a recommendation for help with reading longer texts might be addressed through accessible digital materials and text-to-speech, alongside direct literacy teaching. An alternative can be reasonable if it meets the identified need. Ask the school to explain its approach and how it will check whether it works.
Ask whether provision is recorded clearly
An effective support plan says what the pupil will receive, who will deliver it and how frequently. 'Support with literacy' is too vague to evaluate. 'Targeted teaching of identified spelling patterns twice weekly, with review of independent writing after half a term' is clearer.
Ask how subject teachers are informed about adjustments, especially at secondary school. A child should not have to renegotiate agreed help in every lesson.
Check the impact, not only the activity
It is possible for a pupil to attend every intervention session without making the expected progress. Ask what the starting point was and what has changed. Consider whether spelling skills transfer into classroom writing, whether reading tasks take less time, or whether the child can begin independent work with fewer prompts.
Include the pupil's perspective: a tool that looks useful on paper may be embarrassing, difficult to operate or unsuitable for a particular task. Review the strategy rather than treating non-use as a failure of motivation.
What responsibilities does the school have?
In England, mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to secure the special educational provision called for by a pupil’s SEN. A private diagnostic report is evidence for the school to consider; its recommendations are not automatically legally binding.
Where an EHCP exists, section F is different: the local authority has a legal duty to secure the specified special educational provision, even if the school ordinarily delivers it. If section F provision is missing, contact the local authority as well as the school, and seek independent advice promptly.
A practical escalation route
Begin with a polite written request for a meeting with the SENCo and class teacher, giving two or three concrete examples. After the meeting, summarise the agreed actions and review date by email. If there is no satisfactory response, ask to speak with a senior leader and consult the school's published SEN information report and complaints procedure.
For unresolved SEN Support concerns, GOV.UK explains how to complain about a school. Where an EHCP provision is missing, contact the local authority as well, because it is responsible for securing the specified special educational provision.
Do not lose sight of the pupil
The child may be frustrated by repeatedly explaining their difficulties, particularly if they believe adults are arguing about whether they need help. Tell them which adjustments have been agreed and ask whether they are making lessons more manageable.
A small, consistently delivered change can be more valuable than a long list that never reaches the classroom. Keep expectations ambitious while removing unnecessary barriers.
What to do this week
Choose the three recommendations with the clearest link to current learning difficulties. Ask the school which are already in place and request a written plan for any gaps. Agree a review point and the evidence you will look at together.
If progress remains limited, ask whether the child's needs require further specialist input or a broader review. The SENCo, SEN Support and EHCP framework described here is specific to England; arrangements elsewhere in the UK differ.