Matt Hancock calls for dyslexia screening in secure schools

Hancock, who was diagnosed as dyslexic at 18 after it was picked up by tutors at Oxford University, launched his Dyslexia Screening Bill in December, which calls for all children to be screened for the condition before the end of primary school.

In an interview with CYP Now, Hancock described his own diagnosis as a “lightbulb” moment, admitting he was “lucky” to have had the support of tutors at Oxford.

• Analysis: Oasis chief reveals school plans

• Secure schools: government looks to providers to deliver reforms

“For too many people dyslexia leads to illiteracy and much, much worse outcomes,” he said, noting that 40 per cent of the prison population is diagnosed as having dyslexia.

When asked how best to support children entering the youth justice system who weren’t screened for dyslexia in primary school, Hancock said new secure schools, the first of which is planned to open in Medway next year, should “of course” screen all children.

“In a setting like a secure school, having highly individualised data and support is so important and the value to society of supporting somebody who is in that setting to set them on the right track before they reach adulthood, to them and to the rest of society, is huge. We all know sadly the impact of when that goes wrong,” he added.

While his focus through the bill is “sorting out the identification of dyslexia in the education system”, Hancock admitted the need to support young prisoners who are both diagnosed and suspected of having dyslexia.

“There are a few problems that need to be fixed,” he said. “One is access to the adequate technology in cells, which is really tough because of course there needs to be strong security considerations.”

Another issue faced by dyslexic prisoners is the “data flow” between prisons for those who are assessed for communication issues like dyslexia before being moved between sites, including those moving within the youth justice system and those transitioning to an adult prison.

“The data flow doesn't always happen and if you then have to start the whole [dyslexia] assessment process over again, that can be very frustrating, especially if you lack confidence, because you are not literate.

“These basic things, like sorting out data about assessment have got to be fixed,” he added.

The Medway secure school will be run by the Oasis Charitable Trust and was due to open in 2021 before being hit by a series of delays due to the pandemic.

• CYP Now’s full interview with Matt Hancock will be published in the March edition of the magazine.