Closing literacy gaps. Building confident readers.
Literacy Skills for Secondary is a year-long professional development programme designed to equip teaching assistants and literacy mentors with the knowledge and practical skills to deliver effective one-to-one literacy intervention for pupils who are significantly behind their peers.
The course develops practitioners’ understanding of the reading difficulties experienced by older pupils and provides practical strategies to address gaps in phonics, word reading, fluency, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension.
Participants learn how to assess pupils’ needs, identify specific gaps in literacy knowledge and use this information to plan targeted intervention. The programme emphasises the importance of age-appropriate, engaging texts and approaches that maintain pupils’ dignity, confidence and motivation as readers.
Training combines face-to-face and online sessions with opportunities to apply learning in school. Mentors receive ongoing support to plan, deliver, evaluate and adapt intervention, ensuring that teaching is responsive to individual pupil needs.
Course structure
The programme consists of 20 half-day training sessions, delivered through a combination of face-to-face and online training, alongside school-based support and observation.
Participants will leave the programme with the knowledge, practical strategies and confidence to deliver a structured, evidence-informed literacy intervention tailored to the needs of individual pupils.
Intended impact:
To enable schools to develop a skilled and confident literacy intervention workforce, ensuring that pupils who are struggling with literacy receive consistent, targeted and effective support to accelerate their progress.
What are the benefits to practice?
Participants will develop the practical knowledge, skills and confidence to:
- Deliver structured, targeted literacy intervention that responds to individual pupil needs.
- Use assessment effectively to identify gaps and inform next steps in teaching.
- Apply evidence-informed approaches to develop phonics, word reading, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
- Plan and deliver purposeful one-to-one intervention sessions with clear learning objectives.
- Adapt teaching, modelling and scaffolding in response to pupil progress and difficulties.
- Monitor and evaluate pupil progress, using assessment information to refine intervention.
- Build pupils’ confidence, independence and engagement with reading.
- Work more effectively with class teachers and other school staff to support pupils’ literacy development.
- Develop a consistent and sustainable approach to literacy intervention within the school.
- Increase the capacity of school staff to provide high-quality support for pupils who are struggling with literacy.
Which aspects of provision does this course cover?
- Developing teaching: enriching the quality and effectiveness of teaching practices
Who should attend?
- Teaching and Learning Support Assistants
Testimonial
“On behalf of our team, we would like to sincerely thank you for your continuous support and for organising such inspiring events that promote a love of reading while providing valuable strategies to motivate students.
We feel that we have grown professionally through your guidance on how best to support reading with EAL, and we continue to benefit from the tips, strategies, and encouragement you so thoughtfully share. Even from afar, your unwavering care and support is reflected on our daily work with our students.”
Contact information
For specific enquiries about this course, please contact Louise Harding at louise.harding@bdsip.co.uk
For general booking or CPD enquiries please contact CPDEvents@bdsip.co.uk
Cancellation Policy
- No refund will be received for places cancelled within 5 working days of the session.
- Schools will receive a 50% refund for places cancelled within 10 working days of the session.
