Turning training into a career

Alison Towers and Ros Bartholomew have worked in a wide range of schools and settings in West London as everything from class teachers and SENCOs to senior leaders. However, they wanted to find out more about how to support children with specific learning difficulties, they enrolled and successfully completed the BDA Level 5 SpLD course in Dyslexia.

But they didn’t stop there... they devised a three-part training course to share their newfound skills and knowledge about Dyslexia to encourage and inspire other teachers throughout the London Borough of Ealing.

“In April 2022, after a surprisingly challenging, but incredibly informative course, we both gained accreditation alongside a significant amount of knowledge! Supporting each other working in the same setting was invaluable but online tutorials and links to others taking the course via email and WhatsApp also helped navigate this demanding course.”

“Despite having nearly 30 years teaching experience each, we were finally to have a clear insight into the difficulties experienced by learners of all ages with Dyslexia.”

Their successful three-day training covers an introduction into the difficulties experienced by those with dyslexia and practical ideas that can be implemented in schools, support for individual or groups of children presenting with specific difficulties with reading or writing and in-school bespoke training.

In Autumn 2022, 12 schools benefitted from the training with a further 10 schools attending in the Spring term and a final cohort booked in for Summer 2023. The course is funded by Ealing local authority and free for Ealing schools to attend.

Ros and Alison continue to work with children identified with specific learning difficulties either 1:1 or in small groups with 3 children gaining EHCPlans to ensure this additional supportcan continue throughout their education and many others benefiting from more multisensory approaches to learning in the classrooms.

If you are interested in up-coming training opportunities with the British Dyslexia Association you can find all details here