Rose Review – Dyslexia and Literacy- Funding for Masters level Courses

now available
Article submitted to CPD update

The plethora of government reports, proposed curriculum changes and

consequent CPD requirements for teachers pose a real challenge for CPD
leaders. It is not easy to distil from all of this the key priorities for CPD which
match individual staff aspirations and school improvement plans.

There is one CPD priority, which will be fully funded, which should not slip
under the radar;- and that is the funding to train specialist teachers in dyslexia
and literacy to Masters level.

Teachers enrolling on university, university validated, (e.g. Dyslexia Action

Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma validated by the University of York) or
OCR courses which are professionally accredited by the BDA will, from this
autumn, have all their course fees fully paid.

This funding arises from the recommendations of the Rose report “Identifying
and Teaching Children and Young people with Dyslexia and Literacy
Difficulties” There is funding now available for study to Masters level for up to
4000 teachers to become specialists in this field.

While it is the case that at least 10% of children in every class will have some
level of special need in this area, this funding is an excellent opportunity for
schools to build up the expertise required to provide the support these pupils
require and at the same time fulfil the aspirations of the school improvement
plan.

This Rose Review recommends that every school, both primary and
secondary, employs or at least has access to the services of a trained
dyslexia/SPLD specialist teacher who will be able to “screen and assess
pupils for dyslexic difficulties, design and implement interventions….(be)
involved in training others to be ‘dyslexia aware’ and to carry out
interventions,….provide support and advice to other teachers, and supervise
interventions by other staff. Specialist teachers engage in individual and
small group teaching” Rose Review pg 92, June 2009.

The review also recommends that local authorities, in collaboration with

schools, review how “schools can secure access to sufficient expertise to
meet the needs of children with literacy and dyslexic difficulties”
Recommendation no 7 pg 24 Rose Review, June 2009.

It is a priority for all schools, both secondary and primary; to ensure that the
children acquire good literacy skills commensurate with their age and ability
so they can, as a result, fully access the curriculum. Those that fall behind
because of poor literacy, whether arising from dyslexia or other co-occurring
difficulties such as ADHD, Aspergers, dyspraxia, then suffer poor self esteem
and often display behavioural difficulties arising from frustration and
underachievement.
Sir Jim Rose’s recommendations do not expect every teacher to be an expert
in dyslexia/SpLD. However, it does expect that every teacher will have an
awareness of dyslexia/SPLD through a system of interlinked CPD courses
that builds upon IDP (Inclusion Development Programme) with more in depth
CPD, leading onto study at postgraduate level for those wanting to become
for specialist teachers.

The diagram below illustrates the CPD progression from Wave 1

interventions, through IDP for all teachers, through Wave 2 with additional
CPD for some teachers and wave 3 Postgraduate and professionally
accredited training via the BDA for specialist teachers

The Teacher Training Pyramid

Specialist teachers
PG level
ATS/AMBDA

Advanced skills – specialist CPD

Some teachers in all Schools

Core Skills – All teachers in all schools

Inclusion Development Programme

The Rose Review recommends that the teaching for beginning readers should
be based on sound phonics teaching and this must be the foundation of
teaching at Wave 1.

This is something that all children will benefit from and indeed those with mild
dyslexia difficulties have been shown to progress well with good synthetic
phonics teaching. However, because this is universally a better approach to
literacy teaching it will also highlight those with more specific difficulties early
on. This is because children who continue to struggle will be more readily
identified as requiring additional support.
Completion of Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) should be the basic
level entry criteria to a series of modular CPD courses. These would be
designed to give the schools’ workforces good quality training in how to use
identification tools and appropriate specialist teaching materials at Wave 2.
These courses could then be built upon for those who wish to complete a
qualification to become a specialist teacher in dyslexia/SpLD through training
at Postgraduate or Professional accreditation levels –ATS or AMBDA.

These teachers would provide specialist support at Wave 3, support and

supervise teachers and Teaching Assistants working with children at Waves 1,
2 and 3. They would also help with the identification and assessment of
pupils with dyslexia/SPLD, liaison with parents, governors and other
professionals in their school of school cluster.

Dyslexia Action, along with other organisations, has long called for a tiered
level of support and a frame work for each school, which incorporates whole-
school awareness but gives designated staff more intensive training in how to
identify and support more specific needs through shorter CPD courses and
with the level of expertise and guidance which a specialist teacher can
provide. Now this welcome funding is available to build this capacity in the
school workforce

The Rose Report recommends that every school should either employ or
have access to a specialist through cluster arrangements who holds a
Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Dyslexia and Literacy or OCR level
5&7 leading to professional accreditation with the BDA. This level of training
is vital for those children with more severe learning needs. But in addition this
specialist teacher will also be able to train, advise and support colleagues,
thus developing the tiered support from IDP, through specialist CPD short
courses through to Postgraduate level training

The ‘No To Failure’ initiative, cited as evidence in the Rose Review, has
shown the difference that a specialist teacher can make in improving literacy.
As has Dr Chris Singleton’s report: ‘Intervention for Dyslexia’.

Many of the funded courses available are validated by Universities and are
also part of the TDA PPD (Postgraduate Professional Development
Programme) and others, mainly OCR are run by LAs. These courses have
various local arrangements for attendance, often at the local university. The
Open University offers a relevant module within its education masters
programme through distance learning.

The largest course nationally is the Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma

offered by Dyslexia Action, working in partnership with the University of York
as part of the TDA PPD programme, and professionally accredited by the
BDA.

The Dyslexia Action course is offered as a blended E-learning programme.

The approach of the course is evidence based emphasising the acquisition of
practical teaching and assessment skills and linking these to a critical
understanding of theoretical issues through reflective enquiry.

The E-learning model means that it is open to any teacher nationwide, and
international students as well; (although the current full funding for fees only
applies to students living or working in England). All participants are required
to attend a compulsory 4 day residential Induction School during the first half
term of the course and there are two intakes annually, in October and
February.

In Dyslexia Action’s experience of delivering training to teachers for more than

35 years, the use of blended e-learning is not only an effective training
medium but it also gives teachers more flexibility around their existing
teaching timetables, professional and personal responsibilities. This
methodology is highly acclaimed by many current students because it not only
reduces the costs of classroom cover for teachers but enables them to
organise their study around their personal needs.

The course is structured around weekly teaching practice and tasks with
students working together on line with their personal tutor and student group.
Students receive tutor support and work with like minded peers on line on a
daily basis and this means that students are not isolated, as can happen with
distance learning programmes. This methodology is highly effective for study
at Masters level which requires ongoing critical and reflective enquiry.

Students develop a community of learning practice during the course and

elect to continue to share ideas and support one another professionally even
after they have finished. As many graduates gain promotion as a result of
studying the course alumni find the ongoing support invaluable as they
progress into new roles and develop their careers as specialist teachers.

Dyslexia Action is taking steps to increase its number of places in 2010 to

meet the requirements of the Rose Review. It is also taking steps to ensure
that the current programme fits in with the new national SENCO qualification
at Masters level and the MTL (Masters in Teaching and Learning), so that
teachers can build their ongoing CPD around their career progression.

Details of the funding criteria and courses are available at

www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk
www.dyslexia-spldtrust.org.uk

Anne Sheddick
Head of Training at Dyslexia Action