CReSTeD: How can I find out if a school provides good dyslexia provision?

If you are a parent looking to find a school that provides a good level of dyslexia support for your child then the organisation mentioned in this article will be a great place to start.

It is, of course, a hope for any parent that their local education provider is equipped with the training and ability to support their child through their primary and secondary education.  Sadly with teachers receiving, at best, half a days training on Special Educational Needs and with a varying level of expertise across the UK being demonstrated by school SENCOs, it is crucial that as a parent, if our child is dyslexic, we can get our child into a school who can support our child's educational needs.

But how can we judge that, when, as parents we may be unfamiliar with what having dyslexia really means and how it impacts on our child's learning process?

In December, I visited the charity the offices of the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic pupils or CReSTeD.

CReSTeD aims to help parents, and those who advise them, choose schools for their dyslexic children.  CReSTeD provides a register of schools who have undergone a rigorous process to meet a set of standards for dyslexia provision.  The organisation is supported by the British Dyslexia Association, Dyslexia Action, Dyslexia SpLD Trust and the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre.  Each school is visited by CReSTeD's very own dyslexia consultants after they have completed a comprehensive registration form that requires the provision of supporting documentation on their dyslexia policies.

CReSTeD Registered Schools In The UK.

The registration form covers staff development, admission policy, organisation of the school week, specific arrangements for SpLD pupils, examination results for the whole school and for SpLD pupils in particular and resources.  CReSTeD also contact parents of pupils to get their thoughts on how the school is performing in delivering their dyslexia provision.

The criteria that are used to judge the school as fit to be registered with CReSTeD focuses on topics such as the use of information technology to support learning, Joint Council For Qualifications (JCQ) approved training qualifications for teachers, awareness of the needs of dyslexic pupils by non-specialist staff and arrangements to obtain and provide provision for examinations.

Each school or educational centre is visited on a three yearly cycle with interim visits should there be significant development required to meet the high level of criteria required from CReSTeD.

What is great for parents is that access to the register is free and many of the schools listed are mainstream state-funded schools.  The CReSTeD schools register is therefore an excellent resource to see if there is a school in your area providing a high standard for dyslexia provision.

If you would like to check the register for a school in your area that provides dyslexia support at a high standard then 

click here.

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