Educational Consultancy and Training Services
The Literacy Coach provides bespoke consultancy support and training for schools and multi-academy trusts throughout the UK and internationally. Being a former Literacy Content Specialist for the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), a Research School Evidence Lead in Education (ELE) and a Teacher Development Trust (TDT) Associate means that all Literacy Coach training and support is evidence informed and rooted in the principles of effective professional development.
Consultancy
The Literacy Coach provides a range of consultancy services including (but not limited to):
- Working with schools and trusts to review their literacy provision and design whole school systems
- Quality assurance - external review and evaluation
- School improvement planning
- Development of a tiered approach to literacy: high quality teaching; targeted additional support; and wider strategies (e.g. developing a reading culture)
- Support with effective implementation
- Use of literacy data, analysis and reporting on impact
- Content writing for national organisations and professional development programmes
- Preparing for inspections and literacy deep dives
- Support with developing Pupil Premium strategies and published statements
Some of the schools, trusts and organisations supported include:
- The Academy Transformation Trust (over 10 LAs)
- Ambition Institute - NPQLL
- The School of Research Science, Dubai
“Sarah has been an invaluable asset to SRS teachers in their efforts to drive forward our disciplinary literacy strategy. Her deep knowledge of literacy and her passion for teaching has inspired and empowered our teachers to develop highly effective literacy practices in their classrooms. Through her guidance and support, our teachers have gained new insights and skills that have helped them to enhance their students' literacy skills and foster a love for reading and writing. I highly recommend her support.”
Michelle Thomas, Director of Education, Dubai School of Research Science
Conferences
The Literacy Coach regularly support schools, trusts and national organisations through keynote speaking and workshop delivery.
She has supported the following regional and national organisations:
- Herts For Learning Fluency Expo - Reading Fluency in Secondary Schools
- The National Literacy Trust's Secondary Schools National Conferences - Disciplinary Literacy & Reading Fluency
- International Reading Conference - Reading Fluency
- Derby Research School - KS2-3 Literacy at the Transition
- Essex County Council - Literacy & Disadvantage
- One Education Literacy Conferences, Manchester
- ResearchEd Warrington & Cheshire - Reading Fluency and Reading Aloud Practices
- TransitionED - Oracy
“We were very pleased to be able to work with Sarah in our recent whole Trust Training Day on Literacy. She worked with us to produce an excellent keynote based around what we clarified were our key needs and intended messages. The keynote was very well received by staff and helped to frame much of the rest of the day for us.”
Stephen Munday, CEO, The Cam Academy Trust
CPD
The Literacy Coach provides schools and trusts with effective professional development, including INSETs, twilights and webinars, as well as supporting national organisations to deliver their professional development programmes.
She can work with you to develop and deliver a range of bespoke professional development CPD on a range of areas to support high quality literacy teaching (curriculum and pedagogy), including:
- Developing teacher knowledge of how pupils learn to read
- The science of reading and writing
- Developing reading fluency and reading aloud practices
- Disciplinary literacy across the curriculum
- Explicit and strategic vocabulary instruction
- Supporting pupils to read complex, academic texts across the curriculum
- Oracy – presentational and exploratory talk, dialogic and accountable talk, metacognitive talk
- Writing - self-regulated strategy development and explicit instruction
- Using the EEF's 5-a-day to support SEND in mainstream
- Closing the disadvantage gap
Professional development and training can be delivered in a range of formats suited to the school or trust’s approach, such as:
- Synchronous or asynchronous full/half-day INSET
- Synchronous or asynchronous twilight sessions, with the option of recordings
- One-off or regular input
Sessions can be delivered to leadership teams, phase or curriculum leaders, groups of staff and/or individuals. They can also be tailored to suit the needs of specific groups e.g. ECTs, TAs etc and can be delivered to groups of staff across multi-academy trusts.
The Literacy Coach has recently worked with the following schools, trusts and organisations, delivering a range of CPD for both primary and secondary colleagues:
Academy Transformation Trust
Improving writing across nine trust primary schools
Ark Academies
Every teacher a teacher of reading fluency (39 schools)
Bright Futures,
Greater Manchester
ECT English Programme Facilitation
Beyond Schools Trust,
Kent & Medway
Every teacher a teacher of SEND
Blackpool Research School Developing oracy
CLIC Trust, Manchester
Metacognitive talk in primary (full day INSET)
Kings Academies,
South East, Berkshire & Hampshire
Shining a spotlight on reading fluency
Philip’s High School,
Manchester
Disciplinary Reading
Sandringham School,
Hertfordshire
Every teacher a teacher of reading
The School of Research Science, Dubai
Disciplinary Literacy
The Cam Trust,
Cambridge
Every teacher a teacher of literacy
The English College, Prague Disciplinary literacy
The Phoenix Collegiate,
West Midlands
Academic reading
Unity Research School,
Reading Fluency
Words for All, Whole Education
Leading whole school literacy
Fairfield High School for Girls,
Manchester
Reading Fluency
“Sarah delivered a series of webinars on developing oracy in the classroom on behalf of Blackpool Research School. The evidence was presented in an accessible and engaging way, and Sarah led discussions and activities which supported colleagues in developing an understanding of the implications for their practice. Her wealth of experience in classrooms and schools means that Sarah takes a pragmatic approach to implementation: focused on the use of research but rooted in the reality of school life. Highly recommended.”
Simon Cox, Director of Blackpool Research School
Coaching
Are you a new Literacy Lead looking for some support, or are you a school or trust looking to develop the expertise of your Literacy Leads?
Or maybe you'd like to help to provide train-the-trainer professional development to empower your staff to deliver literacy training?
The Literacy Coach can offer literacy leadership coaching for middle, senior and trust leaders to suit your needs.
Schools and trusts that have benefited from this service include Ark Academies, The Academy Transformation Trust and Manchester Communication Research School.
“I contacted Sarah to deliver a session on literacy and the EEF report recommendations. From the first email, Sarah was professional and efficient, keen to know the context of our organisation and ensuring that we had ample time to reflect on our needs and to give input into her plans. The session was pre-recorded, and again I was consulted at several stages during the process. The session was extremely informative and interesting with a range of really practical advice for teachers. I would not hesitate to use Sarah again; she was a real pleasure to work with.”
Faye McGill, Deputy Director of Thames Gateway Teaching School Hub
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