Wolverhampton MP backs calls for better help for dyslexic pupils
A former teacher turned MP has backed calls from Jamie Oliver to improve how schools identify and support children with dyslexia.Two years after talking about his dyslexia on BBC Breakfast, Oliver has made a Channel 4 documentary calling for mandatory screening in schools and better training for teachers.Wolverhampton North East Labour MP Sureena Brackenridge is among those to contribute to the programme.A former science teacher, she admitted children "would have slipped through the net" during her 25 years in the profession, but added that the government "was listening".
Brackenridge, who is also on the Education Select Committee, said: "If they [children with dyslexia] can't read the question, then it's going to be really difficult for them to give their very best and be able to follow on, whether it's writing the essay, the answer."For me as a chemistry teacher, it was about the written side of chemistry, rather than the practical side, that many students were able to excel on."
The MP said part of the answer was "better teacher training, not an hour after a very busy school day". Brackenridge added that there were some easy things that could be done in the classroom to make improvements for pupils with dyslexia, such as using a cream background on presentations, rather than white, and using certain fonts."It's not rocket science, but with a change in culture... we can do this," she said.Oliver, whose Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution will be on Channel 4 from 21:00 BST, also meets Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in the programme.He said while ideas for teacher training were positive, what was less clear was how to support teachers already on the front line.He also called for every primary school pupil to be screened for dyslexia."If we don't know who needs help, we can't deploy help and resource," he said.The NHS said a person with dyslexia may:Read and write very slowlyConfuse the order of letters in wordsBe confused by letters that look similar and write letters the wrong way round have poor or inconsistent spellingunderstand information when told verbally, but have difficulty with information that's written downfind it hard to carry out a sequence of directionsstruggle with planning and organisationBut people with dyslexia "often have good skills in other areas", the NHS added.
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
14 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on fitness: evidence of the benefits of exercise keeps growing, but who is listening?
The role of exercise in promoting good general health, and helping to prevent heart disease, strokes and diabetes is well established. No wonder, then, that long‑distance running keeps growing in popularity. Popular tracks and parks have never been busier, with groups in stretchy Lycra and fitness trackers on their wrists. The internet is awash with exercise videos, while figures earlier this year showed that gym memberships have climbed to a record 11.5m. The 16.9% of people aged 16 or over in Britain who belong to a gym is one of the highest proportions in Europe. The older teenagers and young adults of generation Z are a key demographic behind this social trend. And recent news from the world's biggest cancer conference, in Chicago, shows how right they are to take the health benefits of fitness seriously. A landmark trial compared the outcomes of patients in several countries who were placed on a programme of structured exercise – assisted by a personal trainer – with those offered standard health advice. The results showing that exercise could be as effective as drugs, without the side-effects, in preventing the recurrence of colon cancer, were described by Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, as 'really exciting'. The expectation is that the study will influence treatment guidelines worldwide – including in the increasingly fitness-conscious UK. But there is another narrative about exercise in Britain that is hard to reconcile with the one above. This is that we are a chronically unwell, overweight and sedentary population, whose health problems are only partly linked to the Europe-wide demographic challenge of ageing. These difficulties are widely recognised to be psychological as well as physical, with particular concerns around the worsening mental health of children and young people, which is widely linked to the rise in smartphone use. Which of these accounts of British fitness habits is more accurate depends which segment of the population is being scrutinised. Government figures show that the age gap – with 16- to 24-year-olds the most physically active age group – is not the only one. There is also a significant socioeconomic disparity. Students and adults in managerial and professional jobs are much more likely to keep active than manual workers or people who are long-term unemployed. As with other indicators of health, such as weight or smoking, there is a clear correlation with income. Richer people with more education and higher social status are more likely to be well. Could gen Z buck this trend with its more general embrace of fitness, which some point out is far cheaper than pub-going? It is too soon to be sure. Some young people believe their gym-going habits are as much about economic insecurity and status anxiety as they are about commitment to health. But as ministers finalise their 10-year plan for the NHS, which is expected to place a strong emphasis on prevention, they have an opportunity to build on, and shape, the way that exercise is offered and experienced. That being physically active is good for you is reinforced by the latest cancer study. But a preoccupation with personal appearance can be debilitating. A public health approach to exercise should seek to maximise the gains and minimise the harms associated with fitness culture.
The Guardian
14 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on Labour's tough choices: they are costing the government dearly
The Labour government's abrupt U-turn on winter fuel payments – restoring the benefit to more than three-quarters of pensioners – reveals less a change of heart than a sobering realisation in Westminster: after years of austerity, the public no longer gives politicians the benefit of the doubt. The irony is hard to miss. Labour set out to prove that 'grown-up' economics means difficult decisions – only to find that once trust is lost, voters won't accept vague promises without tangible results. It turns out many are sceptical that sacrifices will produce better results for society. That's why ministers are struggling to justify cuts to disability benefits as a way to 'fund' public services – or to convince the public that Britain can't afford to lift the two-child benefit cap even as ministers claim they will reduce child poverty. There may be more conspicuous retreats ahead for the government. Sir Keir Starmer and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, had wanted a series of symbolic breaks with Labour's traditional base to prove that only by making tough choices could they deliver £113bn in new public investment. Instead, the last year has become a cautionary tale: ministers elected to repudiate Tory austerity are now seen to be replicating it – and voters have noticed, with Labour's poll numbers sliding as a result. In such a climate, appeals to fiscal rectitude don't receive gratitude but suspicion. The government's volte-face over pensioner benefits only reinforces the sense it was driven by a backlash, not conviction. This dynamic isn't new but it has radically reshaped Labour's own base – and should be a warning to the party for its future. Working-class voters once formed Labour's backbone; now many vote for no one at all. This isn't about lacking education or income. Throughout the postwar decades, working-class turnout matched that of the middle classes. As Geoffrey Evans and James Tilley of Oxford University wrote in their book The New Politics of Class, the drop came only when their political representation vanished. As parties converged and Labour abandoned its working-class roots, political choice disappeared. Labour's traditional base didn't stop voting because they couldn't – they stopped because there was nothing left to vote for. Brexit reshaped politics, but not as radically as many claim. Today's class politics has been built on culture wars and channelled through identity and belonging. The warning by the former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane that Nigel Farage is now seen by many as the closest thing Britain has to a 'tribune for the working class' should be taken seriously. Citing Reform UK's surge in the polls, he pointed to a 'moral rupture' between voters and mainstream politicians, accusing Labour of fuelling disillusionment through a weak growth strategy and unpopular decisions on benefits. While not declaring Reform the definitive working-class party, Mr Haldane stressed that what matters is perception – and right now, many working-class voters believe Mr Farage speaks for them more than anyone else. Labour's spending review this week looks like an attempt to reframe its offer around extra cash for frontline services such as health and education. That is welcome. Less so will be the real-terms cuts in unprotected departments that Ms Reeves's fiscal rules demand to account for such commitments. If this reset is not visible and felt by voters soon, the door swings open wider to Mr Farage and his hard-right politics.
Telegraph
15 minutes ago
- Telegraph
BBC bosses in talks about how to win over Reform-voting viewers
BBC bosses are holding talks about how to win over Reform-voting viewers amid fears their views are under-represented by the broadcaster. Senior executives including director-general Tim Davie and chairman Samir Shah have discussed plans to overhaul the BBC's news and drama output to tackle 'low-trust issues' among Reform voters. At a meeting of the corporation's editorial guidelines and standards committee in March, Deborah Turness, BBC News boss, gave a presentation on how to ensure the views of Reform voters were being given enough airtime. Changes under consideration included altering which news stories the broadcaster covers, as well as potential changes to how it commissions other forms of programming including drama. The committee, which counts former GB News adviser Sir Robbie Gibb as a member, also discussed the importance of local BBC teams. The BBC is understood to be keen to ensure it represents all audiences and their concerns, suggesting the broadcaster may look to boost its coverage of issues such as immigration. Insiders said there was also a focus on making sure that all viewers, experiences and backgrounds are portrayed on screen in entertainment shows. The committee is expected to update on its progress in luring Reform voters at a future meeting. Minutes from the meeting, first reported by Byline Times, stated: 'The CEO, News and Current Affairs provided the Committee with a presentation on plans to address low-trust issues with Reform voters. 'The Committee discussed the presentation. Committee members recognised the importance of local BBC teams in the plan, given their closeness to audiences. 'Directors discussed how story selection and other types of output, such as drama, also had a role to play.' It comes amid concerns that an increasing number of Reform-voting viewers are switching off from the BBC. A recent YouGov poll found that Reform voters have significantly less trust in institutions than supporters of other parties. Question Time's most-used guest Just 13pc of Reform voters said they had a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the BBC, well below the average of 42pc. In contrast, 55pc of Reform supporters said they trusted GB News, which counts Nigel Farage as a presenter. Mr Farage has repeatedly attacked the BBC, describing it as 'institutionally biased' and 'out-of-touch'. In a manifesto last year, he vowed to scrap the licence fee should his party be elected. Despite this, he has been a regular contributor to the broadcaster. The Reform leader made his 38th appearance on Question Time at the end of last year, making him the show's most regular living guest. Only Charles Kennedy, the former Lib Dem leader, appeared on the programme more times. The shake-up comes at a turbulent time for Reform, which has seen its popularity surge in recent months and is now ahead of both the Labour and Conservative parties in polling. Over the weekend, Zia Yusuf announced he was returning as party chairman just two days after he quit in spectacular fashion. He insisted his decision to step down had been 'born of exhaustion'. The BBC has previously sought the view of audiences on what it should be covering. During last year's election it launched a feedback campaign dubbed 'Your Voice, Your Vote', which led to it covering stories such as electricity pylons and rural bus services. The discussions come as BBC bosses are locked in negotiations with ministers over the future of the licence fee funding model, which is up for debate ahead of the end of the current Charter period in 2027. A BBC spokesman said: 'Our Royal Charter requires us to reflect and represent all the communities of the UK, and our Editorial Guidelines require that we must take account of the different political parties with electoral support across the UK to achieve due impartiality.'
