Our School Pilot

We have met with schools, listened to their needs, and will be piloting our program in two schools across the country.

We will be funding training a passionate and dedicated SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinators) from an urban East London school who have demonstrated a commitment to improving support for dyslexic children. They will obtain the accredited Level 5 qualification with the British Dyslexia Association. 

Additionally, we will provide training to a West London school. This school has 60% of students on free school meals and 76% where English is not the first language. We have addressed their needs and are focusing on an inset day for teachers to directly address dyslexia at a critical stage in primary education.

In 2009, Rose recommended that all schools have access to a dyslexia specialist teacher as part of measures to support young people's literacy development in school. However, this proposal was not fully explored and evaluated before the change of government in 2010, and it remains unevaluated.

We know 75% of schools have no access to a specialist teacher and 1 in 10 people have dyslexia with up to 80% of those with dyslexia leaving school their dyslexia identified in school.

This can lead to substantial and negative consequences for those individuals, which can last into adulthood. 

What we want to know?

What gaps in knowledge are addressed by having access to a specialist dyslexia teacher in a school?

Key Terms and concepts

Impact: in this study impact is defined holistically, with consideration of academic attainment, student experiences of literacy lessons, and considering feedback from families and educators. 

We will use a multi-method protocol looking at children’s attainment and progress where they do not have access to a specialist, versus where they do.

We will look at children’s wellbeing in relation to their literacy at the start of the study and then at the end of the study period, to evaluate any differences, linked to their teachers’ training. We will note what changes have been made and how these have affected young people 

We will have written consent from schools, teachers and families and an assessment from children.

Outputs

  • Presentations to be delivered in schools, to members of parliament and professional organisations. 

  • Reports to be delivered to dyslexia charities

  • Training packages informed by findings from the study.

All data will be held in line with GDPR and government data projection regulations. 

Supporting our SENCOs (Special Educational Needs Coordinators) to obtain a Level 5 qualification with the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is a strategic move to enhance the capability of schools to support students with dyslexia.

a. The School:

  • Criteria: We wanted to ensure the school would have a difference in the demographic, and have picked an urban school in East London. The SENCO is truly passionate, dedicated to the cause and have a demonstrated commitment to improving support for these children

  • Application Process: The school have detailed a structured application process where they presented their need and plans for integrating the training into their overall support system.

b. Outcomes Measurement:

  • Pre and Post Evaluation: Implement pre and post-training evaluations to measure the impact of the accreditation on the SENCOs' skills and on the school's support for students with dyslexia.

  • Feedback Loop: Collect feedback from SENCO and school staff to refine the funding program and possibly scale it in the future.

Inset Day for a West London School

a. Focused Training:

  • Content: We will tailor the training to address the specific challenges and strategies for supporting dyslexia. 

  • Experts: Bring in experts to provide hands-on training and practical insights, via interactive sessions of workshops and resource sharing. 

b. Evaluation and Scalability:

  • Impact Assessment: We will continuously assess the impact of your initiatives and gather data to support their effectiveness.

  • Scalability: Use the insights gained to explore opportunities for expanding these initiatives to more schools and other regions.


Summary

By strategically funding the training of SENCOs and organising specialised professional development for teachers, 1 in 10 Dyslexia is taking significant steps to improve support for students with dyslexia. Ensuring these initiatives are well-planned, effectively implemented, and continuously supported will maximise their impact and pave the way for future expansion.