Current Projects

"See The Difference" Campaign

The Dyslexia-SpLD Trust is currently spear-heading an awareness campaign called "See the Difference" designed to promote the government funded training opportunities available to teachers.  Since the publication of the report by Sir Jim Rose in Dyslexia-SpLD last June, the government has committed £10 million towards funding 4,000 teachers to become specialists in supporting pupils struggling to learn at school.  Course places will be offered by BDA accredited providers at Approved Teacher Status (ATS) level and Associate Membership of the BDA (AMBDA) level around the country in a variety of formats including attendance courses, blended or distance learning (mainly on-line) and in a few cases, twilight sessions or school holiday sessions.

The funding is time limited to courses beginning up to the end of March 2011 so the campaign is aiming to encourage schools to support teachers to sign up as soon as possible.  if you are a parent, Local Authority officer, Headteacher of a school or a teacher, please take the time to find out more.  Go to (link or page reference here) for more information and to watch a short film telling you why the "See the Difference" campaign is so important.

British Dyslexia Association Helpline

The British Dyslexia Association's (BDA) Helpline, staffed by 25 volunteers, is completely free and confidential for all.  Advice, support and information are given for various learning difficulties, not just dyslexia.  The Helpline receives over 1,500 calls a month and 300 emails.

All information, advice and signposting is completely impartial enabling the caller to make important choices and decisions for themselves.

The Helpline aims are to be accessible for all.  Speakers of other languages may have access to Language Line, which will enable us to deliver verbally the information that they require.

Information in Helpline is kept up to date so that all the volunteers can familiarise themselves with new Government initiatives such as the Home Access scheme, the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act, the Equality Bill and the introduction of the Diploma and OfQual.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families funding has enabled the Helpline to continue to support all those with dyslexia and literacy related queries.

You can call the Helpline on 0845 2519002

Qualifications Framework

This project is to devise a Qualifications Framework for the sector which will identify training needs and training routes for the roles teachers and teaching assistants undertake while working with Dyslexic learners.

This is so that there is a clear framework for progression from the Inclusion Development Programme (IDP), which is the starting point for all in the profession, through advanced skills to specialist teachers at Masters level.

The framework will define what people need to know, be able to do and understand in their various roles and the training qualifications they need to obtain to fulfil them.

Courses and progression routes consistent with the requirements of the new Qualifications Curriculum Framework, Higher Education requirements and TDA (Teaching and Development Agency) professional standards will be developed.

Consultation with all key stakeholders will be a strong element of the project.

Building on Inclusion Development - the BID project

The purpose of this project is to build on the Inclusion Development Programme which was designed to strengthen the expertise and confidence of teachers and teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools in order to ensure the progress and achievement of children with special educational needs.  The IDP aimed to raise awareness of specific learning difficulties, improve the school and classroom environment and change teaching approaches.

The BID project will continue to work to support and promote the dyslexia IDP materials and extend CPD to embed best practice in schools.  This will support Rose Report Recommendations and entail Dyslexia Action trainers developing the next steps in CPD for Dyslexia-SpLD post Inclusion Development Programme.  The training and delivery will be developed in partnership with four local authorities with the aim of helping embed best practice in schools who have begun to improve awareness through the IDP but want to take it further to support their learners.

• The plan is to develop, offer and deliver a range of short, 1 or 2 day, courses, either attendance or e-learning, in four chosen Local Authorities over the period January 2010 to March 2011.
• Senior management teams, school governors, teachers and teaching assistants will be invited to attend the initial IDP training days (developed for the IDP Pathfinders Project) and will then be consulted as a focus group for the development of the additional CPD courses.  The additional courses will be delivered in phase 2 of the project April 2010 to March 2011.
• The possibility of these courses being of modular design will be investigated, with points being accumulated towards a Certificate in Advanced Classroom Skills - this may then be recognised within the new dyslexia qualifications framework.  Teachers would not need to be tied into this; they may attend the courses and receive an attendance certificate for their CPD portfolio.
• A portfolio system of recording CPD will be developed, using Mahara, and teachers attending the BID CPD courses will be offered the opportunity to build their portfolio on the Dyslexia Action Moodle site.  These portfolios will enable teachers to record CPD and transport that evidence to the GTC when required for the teaching licence.
• The CPD courses will be based on some of the areas of weaknesses related to dyslexia in children that were highlighted within the IDP materials.

Glenys Heap, Senior Training Principal, Dyslexia Action

Lynn Greenwold, Chief Executive, PATOSS

Pilot Teaching Assistant Training Courses

This project involves creating and delivering courses for Teaching Assistants to help them support students with co-occurring difficulties in the area of speech and language, dyspraxia and numeracy.  Each course will comprise one unit and be accredited by NONC. 

CPD Authorisation Project

This project is to develop and embed an authorisation for Continuing Professional Development in support of SpLD Assessment Practising Certificates and further the Development of Standards in Diagnostic Assessment of Dyslexia-SpLD.

An authorisation process which assures quality, underpinned by review from key organisations in the field is highly desirable.  Overseen by SASC, the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, this authorisation scheme will provide quality assurance with input from the British Psychological Society and British Dyslexia Association.  A significant amount of scoping work has already been accomplished.  Initial proposals have been positively received by both the BPS and the BDA.

These practising certificates are used by professionals providing diagnostic assessments of pupils with Dyslexia-SpLD throughout education and are cited as good practice in the Rose Review.

Such continuing professional development provision will make an important element to the Qualifications Framework the Trust is developing.

SASC is developing work with training providers and other professional bodies to assure quality of provision.

Secondary Schools Pilot Projects

The Rose Report indicated how little evidence there is for effective literacy and dyslexia support for young people in secondary school.  The Trust will therefore support three secondary pilot programmes over the year 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 to explore effective interventions for students in this age group.

Two of these pilots are part of Dyslexia Action's secondary partnership for literacy programme and one is a programme run by the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre.

The project involves intervention with pupils in Year 7 in their first year of Secondary Phase Education.  Screening and assessment will highlight a group of children who need literacy support.  Speech and Language difficulties will also be highlighted.  Intensive one to one teaching by a qualified teacher will build on individual learning strengths and promote better literacy skills and strategies.

Guidance for Parents

The Rose Report recognised the need to provide guidance to schools and parents on effective interventions.  This project will therefore provide guidance to explain how effective interventions for all school age groups are to be made available to children with literacy and dyslexic difficulties and how children's progress will be monitored.  There will be consultation about the guidance and the contents of the guidance will be linked to an interactive website.