Dyslexia assessments
Southwark LA remains committed to supporting our schools to identify and provide effective intervention for pupils who have special educational needs but may not need an Education, Health and Care plan assessment.
Some children experience literacy difficulties that are appropriately supported and improved through high quality teaching and appropriate evidence based interventions ordinarily available within schools. A very small minority of pupils however, prove to have literacy difficulties that are more complex and enduring despite this support having been in place. For these pupils consideration may be given as to whether a specialist SpLD assessment is required to understand their strengths and difficulties better.
Southwark is able to offer access to specialist SpLD assessments free to our maintained schools for pupils in Yr 3 to Yr 8 inclusive who meet the criteria.
Not all referrals will be accepted, some the LA may feel do not meet the criteria and the school will be advised of that accordingly. Others may be determined as not appropriate by the assessor, and again the LA will inform schools of that decision.
We want as many schools as possible to have the opportunity to have access to this limited resource so we request that schools prioritise pupils where they feel they have more than one pupil requiring assessment. Also as there is likely to be a high level of demand some referrals will be accepted but put on a waiting list. Please see below for some details about the assessor:
Shirley Anne Moyse, MSc Educational Psychology, University College London I am a member of - Health and Care Professionals Council (PYL01120) British Psychological Society (195582) Association of Educational Psychologists (102711) I initially trained as a Teacher, focusing on the eight to thirteen age range. As my experience in teaching developed I became increasingly interested in the psychology of learning and in special educational needs.
I studied at Goldsmiths’ College for a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and followed that with the Educational Psychology training course at University College London. Since qualifying as an Educational Psychologist I have worked for a number of Local Authorities including as a Senior EP. I am now working independently as a Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia) assessor, consultant and educational psychologist.
I have a wide knowledge of assessment, consultation and of evidence-based intervention and experience of working with young people aged from pre-school to early adulthood, their parents and the staff that support them in their educational settings. We hope that this service will be helpful to schools and would appreciate feedback in order to support the developing and maintaining of such services.