Ipswich MP Tom Hunt fears pupils not getting enough help with dyspraxia at school

A Conservative MP said he fears children with dyslexia and dyspraxia are being left behind in education.

Tom Hunt, the MP for Ipswich, was diagnosed with both conditions - which affect reading and co-ordination respectively -  when he was 12.

He has backed calls from Conservative former health secretary Matt Hancock to screen every child while they are in school and to give them extra support if needed.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that leads to difficulties with reading, writing and spelling, while dyspraxia affects movement and co-ordination.

In an interview with GB News' Gloria De Piero, Mr Hunt said: "I would say that I was incredibly fortunate to be in a position where I had the support that I had.

"I was at an independent school, and half the reason that my dad fought to keep me there was because he felt I needed that additional support.

"So, my fear is that - and for me it was touch and go, I could have not got anywhere near to where I ended up going to academically - but my fear is that perhaps, I was looking at young people with disabilities that I had.

"Maybe I was one in 10 who was able to get through it. So, my passion is to try and make sure that all 'Toms' with those disabilities, regardless of their family circumstances, are given the educational opportunities and support that they need to achieve their full potential.

"And it really shouldn't matter whether their parents happen to be in a position where they can afford to provide the kind of support that I got. So, for me, that's probably the number one burning passion that I've got."

Last year, parents of children with special educational needs in Suffolk told ITV of the frustrating and exhausting battles they faced trying to get sufficient provision for their children.

The Conservative-led Suffolk County Council later admitted they had let children down after an independent report.