I am extremely concerned about the proposed moves to disband the Literacy Support Service in Brighton and Hove, as this service has proved to be a vital resource for my son.
My is 10 years old and was diagnosed as Dyslexic 3 years ago. I have had to fight very hard to secure any support at all for him, but the Literacy Support Service has enabled him to grow in confidence and flourish at school. Without their help, he would have been left to drift, unnoticed by his school teachers, and become even more disengaged with education.
Unfortunately my experience has shown that you cannot rely on schools to provide appropriate support (as is proposed), and by cutting this vital service, these children will be left at risk, unable to achieve their potential.
I have had various statements / press releases forwarded to me that suggest that there seems to be some shift for children with autism or visual / hearing impairment, but there does not seem to be a clear plan for those with Dyslexia / Literacy difficulties.
Dyslexia is recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, and by reducing Literacy or Dyslexia support, you will be discriminating against dyslexic children and the adults they will become, as their ability to manage the effects of their impairment will break down.
I am concerned that dyslexic children, who are otherwise quite able, will get left behind with these proposals, as they will not be considered to be in “the greatest need”. My experience has shown that you can not rely on schools to provide effective support or correct advice to dyslexic children and parents. My situation became so disheartening that I have actually just moved my som to a different school for year 6. He is now at a school where the dyslexia provision has been wonderful. I have also had to pay for private dyslexia tuition because his previous schools provision was so weak.
This specialist support is the reason my son has improved so much – he is now attempting work that he just wouldn’t have had the confidence to even try previously.
Without a clear approach, staffed by specialist teachers who are properly trained, dyslexic children in Brighton and Hove will be left to drown at school. This is so short sighted, because these kids are actually quite bright, but they need specialist help to learn in a way that suits them. With this help, they will achieve their potential, be more engaged and better behaved in class, and be able to contribute to society in the most positive ways in the future.
How can we ensure that Dyslexia is not forgotten in Brighton and Hove, and that a strategy is in place to support these children with an understandable criteria to access this support?
J, mother
My son has just started junior school in Brighton.
Anxious about the transition to year three, over the summer his reading and writing have both regressed to the standard he was at in year one.
In infant school he was lucky enough to receive regular support and is a child who needs to “over learn”. Without this continued specialist support, I fear that he will be lost in the crowd – unable to keep up with the expected level for his age, already being so very far behind his peer group.
He is positive and receptive to extra support, without it – as the summer break demonstrates – he becomes anxious at being perceived “babyish” by his peers and fabricates ideas of bullying.
He has no label of a specific learning difficulty, he’s just a bright and sunny little boy to whom letters mean nothing as yet. The cuts in Literacy Support Service will seriously impede his progress in learning to read, write and, no doubt, the impact of this on other school subjects as well as his morale.
He needs more help than I, as a parent, can give him and the class teacher will be far too busy to give him the time and attention he needs to progress.
It seems that cutting the Literacy Support Service is already decided, but there is the faint hope that stories like my son’s will make it obvious what a false economy cutting the service is.
Yours sincerely,
C, mother
Support for adopted children from the Literacy Support Service
May I take a few moments to congratulate what the Learning Support Service has achieved at our son’s schools thus far… Our middle child was adopted at 16 months, and has attended the mainstream education provision within Brighton & Hove City…
Our three adopted children placed by the Local Authority have complex issues. Numeracy and literacy are the main reasons why they struggle in mainstream. Our middle son is receiving the expert care and attention of the literacy support service within the school setting.
Without this service we can categorically state that our 8 year old would still be unable to read or write what little he can. The deliverance of this specialised service is done in a timely, appropriate and expert manner, by staff who are properly qualified, over vary many years, and have much training, who are highly motivated and posses a wealth of expertise which is second to none.
Very sadly you would be mistaken to opt in for “shortermism” as a cost cutting venture now; to then end up with teens who are still unable to read and write and are passed through the education system like a sausage factory with no basic skills to remain in mainstream; having to then to implement emergency high value measures at a latter date to get children to attain their potential goals, is a flawed and costly strategy.
The primary school teachers are stretched to their limits trying to meet; goals, parents expectations, delivering the national curriculum and endless standards, most are simply firefighting and managing; not having the time or expertise in teaching the children who require it most, these children need the expert intervention of the Learning Support Service now and in the future.
Help Save Specialist SEND Services in Brighton and Hove 
I have 2 dyslexic boys of 14 and 10. The eldest was not diagnosed until he was 13 because his school did not pick it up until his lack of self esteem and confidence, seriously started to effect his behaviour. He had no idea why he found school so difficult. Now he understands his condition, emotionally he feels much better, but I have had to fight for every ounce of support. His younger brother was diagnosed at 9 years old ( only because I noticed he was trying so hard at school but not making the expected progress, so took him to an independent education phycologist )
Since then he has been getting some 1 to 1 help from LLS at his school last year and made great progress. However his school chose to cut back this service this year so although he is getting some help he is getting less than last year. If this service goes altogether , both my children would be left floundering at school and not only would they be unable to achieve their potential ( which every child is entitled to in this country ) but would also leave them with many problems with self esteem, confidence and mental health issues. I simply cannot believe this council would put the necks of the most vulnerable children in our city on the line to save money. Not only is it incredibly short sighted but discriminates against vulnerable children. I am truly appalled. Please help !
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