[senco-forum] Re: learning to read -- extended to statementing issues

The statistics are important.  I can understand that any LEA would have to react against unreasonably high numbers of statements which would place great and frequently unnecessary costs on the system.  LEAs have to be afraid of bottomless pits. Clearly the 20% who currently leave school illiterate every year had a special need which was not met but figures of this order would swamp the system and the biggest losers would be those with real issues such as Graeme and Sharon's daughter. 

As far as literacy is concerned, if the statementing process remains around 3% that would tie in nicely with the higher estimate of those who would be likely to remain in difficulty after an appropriate SP course in infancy.  This would make the system more manageable and more responsive to those with genuine specific needs. 3% seems an attractive figure when compared with the 20% who leave school illiterate.

If the annual intake of children is 500,000, 3% would be around 15000 - or average of 2 children per annum in each Junior/Infant school - a number which would seem to be sustainable with current resources. But of course we would have to get the demand down from its present high level to around 3% and it would seem to me that only an early SP intervention would achieve just that.  Phillipa has already showned that SP is an effective strategy for some with dyslexia and it is not unreasonable to assume that these children's issues would be resolved or substantially ameliorated by the SP intervention in infancy, without the need for statementing. 

Eddie C.