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Government funding for specialist teacher training – HADC is an approved provider
On 22 June 2009 Sir Jim Rose published a report entitled Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties, which included a recommendation that the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DSCF) should fund a number of teachers to undertake appropriately, accredited specialist training in teaching children with dyslexia.
The DCSF have endorsed all the recommendations in Sir Jim’s report and made available around £10m over this financial year and next to support their implementation and other dyslexia projects. The majority of this money is committed to funding the course-fees of 4,000 teachers, in England, wishing to study towards an ATS or AMBDA level qualification which has been accredited by the British Dyslexia Association (BDA). Funding will also be considered for those already in possession of an ATS qualification who wish to enhance this to AMBDA level.
Funding will also be considered for those already in possession of an ATS qualification who wish to enhance this to AMBDA level. The aim of funding these additional training places is to build capacity within the school system to improve access to specialist and high quality support for children and young people with dyslexia. Access to this type of specialist support can be significantly improved by encouraging schools and Local Authorities (LAs) to work in partnership and to pool their resources. Head Teachers are being encouraged to look at existing cluster arrangements and to be proactive in thinking about how they might deploy the expertise of a specialist teacher across a number of schools in their area. For this reason, we are giving priority to those nominated teachers who can demonstrate that upon completing training they will be willing to work across a cluster of schools to share their knowledge and skills.
Applicants for funded places must meet the following funding criteria set out below.
Eligibility Criteria
All applicants must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and have completed their induction year;
AND
be working in schools in England and have the full endorsement of the Head Teacher of their school, confirming their professional and personal suitability, their commitment to successfully complete the training and their ability to deploy their skills/knowledge during and post training.
OR:
be working in England for a Local Authority Support Service, the Voluntary sector or living in England
OR
if between posts and have the full endorsement of their Line Manager/Senior LA Officer OR a suitably qualified Head Teacher confirming their suitability as set out above.
A set of frequently asked questions are published on this website but if you still have a query you would like to raise with the TDA or Dyslexia-SpLD Trust, please contact the following addresses: www.tda.gov.uk and training@thedyslexia-spldtrust.org.uk
These are the criteria for being eligible for DCSF funding for specialist training. However, the question of a candidate’s eligibility for a course is a matter for the course provider.
Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre is an approved provider. The TDA will fund £2400 towards Certificate Level 5 and Diploma Level 7 courses.