Postgraduate Certificate Specialist Dyslexia Training

Summary 2012/13

• Join a specialist programme for professionals, accredited by the British Dyslexia Association;
• Develop the professional attributes, skills, knowledge and confidence to act as a specialist teacher for dyslexia in line with the current inclusion debate;
• Immerse yourself in a course strongly rooted in effective practice which focuses, through the actions of the teacher, on improving provision in settings for learners with specific learning difficulties dyslexia.

This programme is for professionals with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills' Status (QTLS) or equivalent, and professionals that hold a relevant degree. If you wish to increase the participation of learners with dyslexia in your setting, raising achievement and improving wellbeing, then this is the course for you.

The programme will cover the requirements for Approved Teacher Status (ATS) and Approved Practitioner Status (APS) in the opening module and confer eligibility for full Associate Membership status of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA) on successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate. Practitioners who do not hold QTS can achieve the Approved Practitioner Status (APS).

2012 Entry Requirements

To join this programme, you need to have QTS, QTLS, a relevant degree or equivalent. To be awarded AMBDA and ATS through the British Dyslexia Association you will need a reference number for the General Teaching Council for England or Department for Education.

You will require a written statement from your head teacher / manager supporting your suitability as a specialist teacher and confirming you satisfy the Criminal Records Bureau’s mandatory criteria of 'Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults'.

Summary 2013/14

• Join a specialist programme for professionals, accredited by the British Dyslexia Association;
• Develop the professional attributes, skills, knowledge and confidence to act as a specialist teacher for dyslexia in line with the current inclusion debate;
• Immerse yourself in a course strongly rooted in effective practice which focuses, through the actions of the teacher, on improving provision in settings for learners with specific learning difficulties dyslexia.

This programme is for professionals with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills' Status (QTLS) or equivalent, and professionals that hold a relevant degree. If you wish to increase the participation of learners with dyslexia in your setting, raising achievement and improving wellbeing, then this is the course for you.

The programme will cover the requirements for Approved Teacher Status (ATS) and Approved Practitioner Status (APS) in the opening module and confer eligibility for full Associate Membership status of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA) on successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate. Practitioners who do not hold QTS can achieve the Approved Practitioner Status (APS).

2013 Entry Requirements

To join this programme, you need to have QTS, QTLS, a relevant degree or equivalent. To be awarded AMBDA and ATS through the British Dyslexia Association you will need a reference number for the General Teaching Council for England or Department for Education.

You will require a written statement from your head teacher / manager supporting your suitability as a specialist teacher and confirming you satisfy the Criminal Records Bureau’s mandatory criteria of 'Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults'.

Details

Who is this course for?

This programme is for professionals with QTS, QTLS, or equivalent. You must have completed your induction year to be eligible for this programme which is also suitable for Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists.

What will I gain from this programme?

The programme has been designed to enable you to develop the professional attributes, skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to act as a specialist teacher for dyslexia in line with the current inclusion debate.

How we will support you

Course tutors, online personal tutors and mentors will support you through your studies at Edge Hill University and be your first point of contact for individual pastoral support.

Specific sessions are also built into the programme to accommodate individual or small group tutorials. Wherever possible, you will also be encouraged to set up arrangements for peer support.

What will I study?

The rationale and philosophy of the programme emphasises the key relationship between critical thinking, evaluation and practical action. This is related to your professional experiences and interests as well as the ways in which these can be synthesised.

Emphasis is placed on effective practice, particularly improving the provision that settings offer, through the teacher/tutor, for learners with specific learning difficulties dyslexia.

This will involve active exploration of a range of issues including:

• Complexities of identification, assessment and multi-sensory learning environments;
• Critical analysis of a range of intervention strategies and teaching approaches;
• Principles underlying structured, sequential, multi-sensory teaching;
• The role and impact of legislation;
• Current research, theory and practice of psychometrics;
• Diagnostic assessment;
• Validity and reliability of testing;
• Practice of other teachers supporting pupils with dyslexia within a different context;
• Analysis of the potential impact of dyslexia on social and emotional development;
• Analysis of potential barriers to learning;
• Dyslexia and society.

How will I study?

The programme will be delivered by a blended learning approach, consisting of face-to-face sessions and online supported learning through the use of Edge Hill University's virtual learning environment.

You will be encouraged to share reflections using the discussion facilities provided within the virtual learning environment, allowing you to join in discussion with a wider network of specialist dyslexia teachers and draw on this pool of experience and practice.

Attendance is compulsory across all modules and is required to meet the British Dyslexia Association’s requirements. You are expected to attend and actively participate in taught sessions and tutorials (which include online activities) and work shadowing opportunities as appropriate.

Placement

As part of the Specialist Dyslexia Work Based Practice module, you will be required to undertake a shadowing exercise in an alternative school to your own. The focus of the shadowing will be to observe practice of other teachers supporting pupils with dyslexia within a different context. You will be encouraged to identify alternative settings / key stages that offer a comparison. This reflection, in the style of compare and contrast, will form part of the portfolio of evidence of assessment.

Who will be teaching me?

The modules in the programme will be taught by experienced and knowledgeable tutors, supplemented by face-to-face and blended learning opportunities. All teaching observations will be carried out by tutors who hold Associate Membership of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA) status.

The University tutors have expertise in a variety of academic disciplines, including SEN / Inclusion, Dyslexia, Leadership and Management, educational research and systematic enquiry.

How will I be assessed?

Modules are assessed using case studies, diagnostic assessment reports, specialist teaching evaluations, annotated lesson plans and observations of teaching practice.

Assessments and activities on the Specialist Dyslexia Training programme give you the opportunity to analyse current practice, utilising and reflecting upon current research and debate to bring about change with clear impact.

Assessment tasks have been designed to allow choice and flexibility to ensure that individual needs are met and that impact on provision and practice within your setting is maximised. In this way the assessments form an integral part of the learning process which will be captured through portfolio evidence of impact on pupils, your own professional practice and the practice of other professionals in your school.

What are my career prospects?

The programme has been designed to equip you with the professional attributes, skills, knowledge, attitudes and confidence necessary to act as a specialist teacher for dyslexia.

These skills and the AMBDA / ATS / APS status allow specialist teachers to make access arrangements for examinations as well as diagnostic screenings for dyslexia in both their own workplace and other Local Authority settings.

Professional Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the British Dyslexia Association.

Related Programmes

• National Award Special Educational Needs Coordination
• MA Education

A Great Study Environment

You will have access to the Virtual Learning Environment in addition to the facilities at Edge Hill University’s Ormskirk Campus. This includes the University library, home to thousands of books, journals, online resources and extensive PC and media provision.

How do I apply?

Apply directly to Edge Hill University. Download the AMBDA/APS/ATS Dyslexia application form (pdf).

Fees and Finance

For those joining the course in academic year 2011/12, the total cost of the programme is £2,450 (AMBDA) and £1,450 (ATS / APS).

Please contact the programme leader for information on tuition fees for this course in academic year 2012/13.

Still want more?

If you have any questions you would like to ask about this course, please contact:

• Dyslexia Administrator
• Tel: 01695 584165
• Email: dyslexia@edgehill.ac.uk

Or

• Karen Boardman, Programme Leader
• Email: karen.boardman@edgehill.ac.uk

Faculty of Education, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP

Modules

The Dyslexia programme consists of three modules:

• Identification, Assessment and Intervention for Students with SpLD
• Specialist Dyslexia Work Based Practice
• Theories and Dilemmas of Dyslexia