Tools for Schools
The Learning and Behaviour Advisory Team (LBAT) are delighted to announce that five primary schools have recently achieved the ‘revamped’ DASA award, with three more schools due to be accredited soon. The schools have achieved all expected standards for supporting pupils with dyslexia and specific literacy difficulties within their school. They have worked tirelessly throughout an ever-changing programme (due to the pandemic) to ensure their classrooms are dyslexia friendly with a focus on developing quality first teaching strategies and personalised support. Systems are in place for early identification, appropriate assessment and quality intervention that are monitored and outcomes reviewed.
Each of the five schools have particular strengths highlighting the award being developed to suit the needs and culture of their school. Bolney C.E. Primary School developed a positive approach to supporting individuals by enabling pupils to see dyslexia as a strength. Petworth Primary School produced exemplary tools for staff to identify and support pupils and use their outstanding outside space to enable pupils to develop and build on strengths. St Mary’s C.E. Primary School, Pulborough have developed a love of learning in their pupils through resources, dyslexia friendly classrooms and ongoing CPD for staff. Rudgwick Primary School presented outstanding case studies alongside their whole school practice and Summerlea Community Primary School have a strong inclusion team who have developed systems of identification, support and monitoring of interventions across the school.
We started the training in March 2020, with great optimism and very quickly had to make ongoing adjustments to the programme leading to virtual training for day 2 and interim consultations given to each school by the LBAT advisers in place of further training. Moderation, thankfully, could go ahead for those schools wanting to complete this academic year and it was an absolute pleasure for the LBAT advisers to visit these schools. We were highly impressed by the level of commitment to the developments within each school, during the past, incredibly challenging, five terms. The LBAT team have made the recent decision to widen the remit of the award to include dyscalculia and maths difficulties. The award will change the name to become the Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Inclusive Practice Award (DaDIPA). In the Spring term, we will be recruiting for the next group of schools to start the programme in Summer term 2022. We will hold three training days (hopefully in person) and provide individual support to each school through consultation. Moderation will be through school visits in Spring or Summer term 2023. For initial information please contact [email protected]
