Education - Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)

PGDip

Expected move to Headington Campus for the start of the 2025/26 academic year

Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026

Part time: 2 years

Location: Harcourt Hill

Department(s): School of the Built Environment, School of Education, Humanities and Languages

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Overview

This course is for those who work with children with literacy difficulties in primary and secondary schools. It is ideal for experienced teachers and graduate teaching assistants.

You will have the opportunity to:

  • network with other practitioners
  • access information about local jobs specialising in work in the sector.

This course is pending accreditation by the British Dyslexia Association. It includes the supervised teaching and assessment work that would meet the criteria for Accredited Teacher/Practitioner Status (ATS/APS) after Year 1 and Associate Membership of the BDA (AMBDA) after Year 2. If accredited, you’ll also meet the criteria for an Assessment Practicing Certificate (APC) after Year 2, which will allow you to assess children for dyslexia. If accredited, you can organise this through the course for an additional administration fee to the BDA.
 

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Course details

Course structure

You’ll study five modules in person at our Harcourt Hill campus. You’ll be taught through a range of activities to explore the complex, nuanced and interdisciplinary nature of the areas of dyslexia and specific learning difficulties. 

Lecturer presenting to class on campus

Learning and teaching

Teaching and learning will take place through lectures, seminars, workshops, supervised teaching and school-based project work. The modules include group work and student-led presentations, enabling you to explore key ideas and topics through collaboration and discussion. You’ll be supported to review relevant academic literature and receive feedback from your tutors and peers that will support your development during the course.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed through a variety of written assignments, including building a case study working with children or young people (CYP) within your educational setting. Other assessment methods on this programme include specialist assessment, diagnostic reports and the creation of a specialist teaching portfolio. A portfolio will be required to meet the AMBDA requirements on the Specialist Teaching and Assessment: AMBDA module.

Study modules

Taught modules

Compulsory modules

  • Literacy Difficulties: Theory and Practice

    Designed for those who work with children with literacy difficulties in either primary or secondary school, you’ll explore and evaluate a range of theory and research investigating reasons for children’s literacy difficulties. 

    This includes;

    • exploring the evolving debates surrounding the terminology and causes of literacy difficulties and how different learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder interact with each other
    • considering normal literacy processes and typical development 
    • reviewing research on alternative explanations of literacy difficulties and dyslexia, including the ‘dyslexic brain’
    • children with comprehension difficulties
    • understanding the principles of assessment and specialist teaching.

    Through a range of collaborative activities and discussion, you’ll review the implications of these ideas on school provision and your own practice.
     

  • Literacy Difficulties: Assessment and Intervention

    You will develop skills in a range of assessment and teaching strategies for working with children and young people with significant literacy difficulties.

    You will carry out a case study with one child or young person (CYP), undertaking assessment work then planning and delivering 10 hours of individualised teaching. You'll explore different approaches to intervention and consider the social, emotional and behavioural aspects of dyslexia and SpLDs. 

    • Assessing literacy difficulties, principles of assessment, and reviewing a range of assessment techniques
    • interpreting evidence and data to make informed decisions and maximise access to learning
    • exploring a range of teaching interventions, including multi-sensory, phonological and meta-cognitive approaches and precision teaching
    • using digital technologies to support children with literacy difficulties
    • considering the impact of literacy difficulties on self-esteem and the social consequences of learning failure.
       
  • Managing Dyslexic Friendly Practice in Education

    You’ll further develop your specialist teaching skills and examine the different ways in which schools can provide dyslexia friendly support. 

    You’ll carry out a second case study with a child or young person, including 10 hours of specialist teaching and also undertake a small study in your own school, deepening your knowledge of practice. You’ll examine issues like:

    • whole school policies, such as creating a dyslexia-friendly school
    • identifying areas for development in schools’ policy and practice 
    • working with parents around their children’s literacy difficulties
    • acting as the child’s advocate, including case building and report writing
    • working with external agencies
    • evaluating resources and support strategies, creating a resource base to support good provision.

    The specialist assessment and teaching work completed during the first year of the course will enable you to apply to the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) for Accredited Teacher or Practitioner Status.
     

  • Specialist Teaching and Assessment: AMBDA

    Throughout this module, you will develop your skills as a specialist assessor and teacher of dyslexia.

    You’ll carry out 3 diagnostic assessments for dyslexia, creating diagnostic reports, and deliver 10 hours of specialist teaching with one child.

    This will involve:
    • exploring the principles of assessment, and reviewing a range of assessment techniques,
    • carrying out diagnostic assessments and writing reports that meet the SASC standards
    • interpreting evidence and data to make diagnostic decisions and maximise access to learning
    • exploring a range of teaching interventions, including multi-sensory, phonological and meta-cognitive approaches and precision teaching
    • using digital technologies to support children with literacy difficulties
    • assessing students for formal exam access arrangements.
    The specialist assessment and teaching work for this module will enable you to apply to the British Dyslexia Association for accreditation as an Associate Member (AMBDA).
     
  • Research Methods working with Literacy Difficulties

    In this module, you will explore a range of research approaches, methods and techniques appropriate for the study of children and young people with literacy difficulties. 

    You’ll explore the complex and interdisciplinary nature of work in and across these areas through qualitative and quantitative research approaches, which you’ll develop through designing a small research study.

    This module is designed to prepare you for the methodological components of the MA Education dissertation, should you wish to complete a full master’s in Education.
     

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Research

The School of Education, Humanities and Languages is a thriving centre for educational research and teacher professional development.

Rachael Falkner, co-tutor on the course, is researching children’s perspectives on writing and their use of written feedback.

We hold two major research conferences each year - the School of Education Research Conference and the EdD Colloquium. All students are invited to attend our annual Research

Seminar Series (which attracts both internal and external speakers).

The School’s six research groups exist to encourage engagement in research, publication, conference presentations, seminars and workshops:

  • Inclusion and Wellbeing
  • Policy, Partnership and Leadership
  • STEAM pedagogy and learning
  • Humanistic Perspectives on Education
  • Early Years
  • Applied Linguistics

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Careers

The course meets the criteria for the taught elements of Associate Membership to the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA), if accredited.

The PGDip enables teachers to assess people for exam concessions and the AMBDA qualification is the leading quality standard for specialist work in the field.
 

Entry requirements

This course is not available to students classed as International for fees purposes.

How to apply

Application process

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) part time
£2,940

Home (UK) part time
£3,090

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
Home (UK) part time
£2,940

2025 / 26
Home (UK) part time
£3,090

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.