About this course
The aim of the Level 5 Award is to provide a short practical training programme, focusing on understanding and supporting groups of learners with dyslexia and/or specific learning difficulties, taught through a range of videos, cartoons, activities and power points. It was developed in response to demand from teachers/SENDCos for a shorter course on dyslexia to be available as a significantly shorter alternative to the Level 5 Specialist Teacher Diploma.
Liz and Julia, Directors, designed this course with the mission to train and develop Specialist Practitioners to the highest standard possible, as they believe all learners deserve to receive the highest standard of support. Drawing on their experience as founding headteachers of a specialist school for learners with Dyslexia, they realised the importance of providing Specialist Practitioners not just with a qualification, but with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to practically apply their qualification in a broad range of settings.
In light of their own professional careers, including as headteachers and as practitioners supporting people in the workplace, they made a conscious decision to deliver a practical, rather than essay driven course. Their experience has taught them that practitioners who are confident with the practical aspects of supporting learners are the most impactful assets in any setting.
Specialists Trained
Pricing
The total cost of this Level 5 course is: £1,000
The course fees cover the cost of an assessor who will guide and mark all of your work and be a point of contact throughout the whole time you study with us. As well as this, they also cover the cost of all of your registration fees throughout your course.
Unfortunately, there are not any central funding options available at the moment. We are regularly checking for updates on funding opportunities. Local charities and/or churches are worth exploring for funding opportunities in their particular area. We have had several candidates obtain funding this way. Dorset Community Foundation is an example of a localised charity offering support (https://www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/who-we-help/). We have had several candidates obtain funding this way.
Several of our candidates have been fully funded or in part by their school or educational setting. It is worth a conversation with your school or educational setting to discuss potential opportunities that are mutually beneficial.
We are a registered ELCAS (Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Services) course provider. So anyone applying from the MOD has the opportunity to apply for funding this way. For more information please visit: https://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/
You don’t have to be a teacher to become a specialist teacher. Anyone with a Level 3 qualification or higher in any subject is eligible for this course. The reason we set a requirement to have a level 3 qualification or higher is due to the education demands of the course – to find out more about the demands of the course, here is a link to ‘Studying at Level 5′ (Click Here).
If you don’t currently hold a Level 3 qualification or above, we offer a Level 3 course(Click here). Not only will this make you eligible for this Level 5 course, it will also give you a foundation of knowledge, giving you an excellent platform to succeed on this course.
We are fortunate enough to have trained over 500 Specialist Teachers. However, not all of those were from a teaching background to start with. Here are a few examples of their backgrounds prior to becoming a specialist teacher with us:
- Teacher assistants
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Tutors
- SENDCOs
- A parent who would like to make a difference
- Anyone looking for a new career!
There is a requirement to hold a valid DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service). However this is not an immediate requirement, you will have time to apply for this once you start the course. For more information on this please visit:(https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service)
There is a requirement to have access to three learners. You will be teaching your group for 15 minutes per week, for 6 weeks. The learners typically are underperforming in literacy, but do not have to have a diagnosis of dyslexia.
As this course is taught remotely – there is a requirement to have access to a computer to be able to complete the course, as well as communicate with your assessor. It will help you to have a basic understanding of using computers. For example – organising files and documents that you have completed in order to send them to your assessor either via email or via a USB (memory) stick.
Eligibility
Anyone with a Level 3 qualification or higher in any subject is eligible for this course.
Eligibility
Anyone with a Level 3 qualification or higher in any subject is eligible for this course.
You don’t have to be a teacher to become a specialist teacher. Anyone with a Level 3 qualification or higher in any subject is eligible for this course. The reason we set a requirement to have a level 3 qualification or higher is due to the education demands of the course – to find out more about the demands of the course, here is a link to ‘Studying at Level 5′ (Click Here).
If you don’t currently hold a Level 3 qualification or above, we offer a Level 3 course(Click here). Not only will this make you eligible for this Level 5 course, it will also give you a foundation of knowledge, giving you an excellent platform to succeed on this course.
We are fortunate enough to have trained over 500 Specialist Teachers. However, not all of those were from a teaching background to start with. Here are a few examples of their backgrounds prior to becoming a specialist teacher with us:
- Teacher assistants
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Tutors
- SENDCOs
- A parent who would like to make a difference
- Anyone looking for a new career!
There is a requirement to hold a valid DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service). However this is not an immediate requirement, you will have time to apply for this once you start the course. For more information on this please visit:(https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service)
There is a requirement to have access to three learners. You will be teaching your group for 15 minutes per week, for 6 weeks. The learners typically are underperforming in literacy, but do not have to have a diagnosis of dyslexia.
As this course is taught remotely – there is a requirement to have access to a computer to be able to complete the course, as well as communicate with your assessor. It will help you to have a basic understanding of using computers. For example – organising files and documents that you have completed in order to send them to your assessor either via email or via a USB (memory) stick.
Length
This online course tasks will take approximately 150 hours to complete over 6 – 7 months.
The Dyslexia Award comprises 4 units, of which candidates must complete three to complete the course. Units 1 and 2 are compulsory, with a choice between units 3 and 4.
- Unit 3 is appropriate for TAs, teachers etc. as it is the practical teaching element, whereas
- Unit 4 is designed for Senior Managers who wish to monitor whole-school provision for learners with dyslexia/SpLD.
This course trains candidates to support learners of all ages and into adulthood, in 1:1 and group settings.
Course certificates can take up to 4 months after your course end date to arrive from the awarding body.
We understand that there are often unforeseen circumstances that could potentially hinder the completion of the course. We endeavour to be as flexible as possible in any situation that arises.
Unit 1 (compulsory):
- Understanding the context of legislation and guidance with regards to Special Educational Needs and Equality in relation to dyslexia and/or specific learning differences and barriers to literacy
Unit 2 (compulsory):
- Assessing learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties in Preparation for Teaching Interventions
Unit 3 (optional):
- Group Interventions for Learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties
Unit 4 (optional):
- Understanding the Quality Assurance of a Provision for Learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties
Location
This course is remote.
We provide an online learning platform for you, which you have access to throughout your course. The content includes videos and quizzes, helping you to embed your knowledge.
We also provide dedicated IT support if required.
Regular contact is maintained through-out this course. Candidates send work via email directly to assessors
- We believe teaching remotely provides people nationally and internationally an equal opportunity to gain our qualification; giving as many learners as possible the opportunity to receive the support they require.
- Candidates learn at different paces.
- Candidates are available at different times.
- Enables us to adapt and ensure the course content is 100% accurate and delivered in the best way possible.
Location
This course is remote.
We provide an online learning platform for you, which you have access to throughout your course. The content includes videos and quizzes, helping you to embed your knowledge.
We also provide dedicated IT support if required.
Regular contact is maintained through-out this course. Candidates send work via email directly to assessors
- We believe teaching remotely provides people nationally and internationally an equal opportunity to gain our qualification; giving as many learners as possible the opportunity to receive the support they require.
- Candidates learn at different paces.
- Candidates are available at different times.
- Enables us to adapt and ensure the course content is 100% accurate and delivered in the best way possible.
Delivery
Candidates are assigned an assessor for the duration of their course. Regular communication is maintained between assessor and candidate. Assignments are sent to and from the candidate via email. The Assessor provides feedback, guidance and where relevant signposting to develop the candidate’s skills further.
We regularly conduct internal quality assurance exercises alongside regular external quality assurance inspections. This ensures we maintain our high standards.
This course is delivered by co-authors of the course. It has been designed in a way that is realistic and practical – preparing you for real-life as a specialist teacher. The course is delivered by people who have previous experience of:
- Working in mainstream settings
- Founding and running a specialist school
- Working as teachers
- Working as headteachers in both mainstream and specialist settings
- Supporting and training within the Public sector.
- Working as governors.
The interaction with your assessor is an ongoing dialogue and discussion. The assessor’s remit is to help candidates develop into reflective practitioners. The assessor provides feedback and comments to candidates on all activities. As it is an independent study course assessors ask questions and prompt candidates to find solutions.
As the course is delivered remotely, there is, therefore, a requirement to have access to a computer. We do provide IT Support if required.
What Awarding Bodies say about Dyslexia Matters’ training provision
- An ‘excellent centre’
- It ‘delivers courses of an exceptionally high standard turning out well-prepared teachers and assessors who are prized by the organisations for which they work’
- Delivered ‘well respected and nationally recognised gold standard qualification for teachers and assessors of learners with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties’
- Known as ‘a centre of excellence in the provision of these courses’
- ‘encourages a high standard of work. Portfolios show evidence of excellent improvement coming from focussed feedback’.
- ‘Portfolios show a high level of knowledge and understanding of the course standards and requirements. This Centre provides excellent training’
- ‘All assessors are extremely competent, highly qualified and experience’
- ‘End-users and employers of the trained candidates were surveyed. These evaluations and feedback demonstrate the value of this course and the high satisfaction with which they are regarded’
Testimonials
As a manager of staff who have undertaken their training with Dyslexia Matters I can only say that staff have come away with the knowledge and understanding that they need to fulfil their roles in school. I will therefore continue to use Dyslexia Matters in the future.
While Dyslexia Matters maintains strict guidelines and expectations for the standards that they expect from candidates and will not compromise on these, the company ethos is all about enabling candidates to achieve and to succeed. The level of care and support given to candidates is second to none.
Another very important area in which Dyslexia Matters excels is in the way that assignments are planned and presented and most importantly in the feedback that candidates receive. Candidates are given very specific instructions with templates to help them to organise and structure their work. Expectations are made very clear. Those marking work are highly knowledgeable and again have the necessary skills, understanding and qualifications to complete this activity. They provide very clear information about what the candidate has done well and guidance is given which will enable the candidate to have a clear understanding of what s/he should do in order to develop work and improve.
Course materials provided are very clear and informative. In all aspects of the course they follow best practice in respect of optimising learning. A simple example of this is in their PowerPoint presentations. There’s nothing worse than being told that you should use a particular font style and size and then being shown an ‘all singing and dancing’ PowerPoint with lots of bright colours which is cluttered and confusing with print that is too small to read!
Those delivering the course are very well qualified and have an outstanding knowledge of their subject. What is more important is the fact that they have relevant experience in the field and so can talk from real-life contexts etc. This ensures that they have the necessary credibility with their candidates.
Many of our staff have been trained by Dyslexia Matters. Several have completed the level 5 and others are working towards or have completed the new PAPAA qualification. In so far as members of staff are concerned, the courses that they attended were well organised. The administration was effective and efficient. Course requirements were set out clearly. There was plenty of support at various levels.
I would most definitely recommend Dyslexia Matters. We are a specialist school for pupils with dyslexia and associated specific learning difficulties. At our school, all staff teaching literacy, as well as those doing 1 to 1 tuition must have a specialist dyslexia teaching qualification.
