05/06/2025
I really hope that Jamie Oliver is supported and succeeds in this quest.
Since Bloom Tutoring began, I have seen way too many Primary and Secondary students who are not being assessed and supported for dyslexia (and other neurodivergent learning barriers). As a consequence of this, their self esteem and mental health have suffered enormously. It breaks my heart to hear a child refer to themselves as thick or stupid. This is certainly not the case, as people with dyslexia often work much harder to create solutions to their school and work tasks, displaying a talent for problem solving that non-dyslexic people would struggle to achieve.
More funding is absolutely necessary.
We need easier access to assessments and EHCPs; too many parents are battling with schools for answers, when we should be working together.
Secondly, we need to train teaching staff to identify key characteristics of dyslexia +, so they can then understand how best to support and scaffold their students’ learning.
In all my years of teaching, I can count on one hand the CPD which was related to some form of SEN. This simply is not enough, nor acceptable. The education system is failing these children and young adults. Money that should be spent here, is being swallowed up with supporting our students who need help with their mental health (I know there are unrelated MHI that need funding), the message is clear to them; they are not heard and often labelled with having ‘behaviour issues’. They know they have difficulty accessing their learning, that they are not always heard and supported and are worried about failing. Of course this is going to lead to mental health and self esteem issues.
A shake up is needed.
Remember the slogan, ‘Every Child Matters’?
Good luck to your campaign Jamie Oliver
The chef, who has just turned 50, always struggled at school and with the ‘grown-up’ side of business. After being diagnosed with dyslexia earlier this year, he now knows why
