Guidance questions for discussions with pupils 95 Interview questions for SENCOs 96 Questionnaire for governors 98 Questionnaire for parents 99 Interview questions for teachers 100 Introduction The ideas and challenges launched by the BDA’s original “Achieving Dyslexia Friendly Schools Information Pack” struck a chord across the UK and beyond. Teachers began to realise that the fine-tuning needed to make schools dyslexia friendly has the potential to improve the learning of all pupils. Now, more and more schools are aspiring to become dyslexia friendly. The BDA’s Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark aims to provide a framework of support and understanding for schools within the dyslexic individual can build on existing skills and develop new. This ensures that all within the school have a good knowledge of the needs of the dyslexic individual and that resources are available to meet such needs. This in turn is likely to lead to greater levels of achievement and retention for all learners. The Quality Mark for schools is made up of standards that cover 4 key areas: Standard One: Leadership and Management Standard Two: What is the quality of learning? Standard Three: Creating a climate for learning Standard Four: Partnership and Liaison with Parents, Carers, Governors and other Concerned Parties Becoming a dyslexia friendly school requires a review of the implementation of major whole school policies, focusing upon teaching and learning, monitoring and assessment, differentiation and inclusion across the range of ability and need. The BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark is an external sign of approval that is widely recognised not only in the UK but also internationally. This award is issued only to those schools that have met its
rigorous quality standards and demonstrates public recognition that they provide high quality education for dyslexic pupils. As well as a certificate of recognition, schools can use the BDA Quality Mark logo on all publicity materials and can attend selected seminars and conference opportunities at special Holding the BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark is a very positive statement that lets learners, parents, staff and stakeholders know that your organisation is a safe place for dyslexic individuals. What is a Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark School? Dyslexia friendly schools are able to identify and respond to the “unexpected difficulties” that a dyslexic learner may encounter. In these situations, teaching staff are expected to support a range of diverse learning needs in mainstream settings and are empowered to do this by school procedures and systems. Dyslexia friendly schools recognise that teaching staff, as individuals, are key to the success of students overcoming their difficulties. Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark schools are effective schools, because they identify and select ‘’best practice’ to get the job done. Being aware of ‘best practice’ trends and initiatives, dyslexia friendly schools demand excellence from their pupils and support them by linking new ideas and traditional values. Pupils are required to be the best they can and the school culture has a “zero tolerance” of failure. This is not an aggressive response, but is more one of “tough love”. Such schools do not accept or allow institutionalised failure in terms of an “accepted percentage” of pupils leaving without ability-appropriate basic skills and/or national qualifications. A particular feature of such schools is the awareness among all teachers and support staff of what each pupil should be able to achieve, together with a range of response strategies when targets are not met. Dyslexia friendly policies and procedures are integrated into the whole school development plan (SDP) and progress towards these goals and targets is the responsibility of a member of the Senior Management Team. This means that all staff are proactively led to:
1.5 Evidence of a plan for on-going in-service development can be found (through school or Local Authority) in relation to Dyslexia Friendly Status. Examples include – Whole school awareness training Teaching / Learning Assistants receiving on-going training and support Courses leading to an award – one teacher with a Diploma and OCR level 7 (with AMBDA) certificate where possible per school or cluster of schools. Alternatively, access to such expertise within the Local Authority Catch up arrangements for absent staff (on a rolling programme basis) Supply staff provided with guidelines on dyslexia friendly teaching / pupil profiles Review and up-dating of in-service development in view of changing needs 1.6 Evidence is available that school induction procedures for new staff (and supply staff) make explicit reference to expectations of Dyslexia Friendly status. Standard One: Leadership and Management. Focusing (recognising development is required) Developing (work under way) Established (achieving) Enhancing (demonstrating well)
RG12 7BW Data Protection Act 1998 The information you provide on this form will be processed by the BDA and used to process your application the BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark. The information may also be used to send you information about the BDA’s other services, offers, activities and appeals. We may also share your information with other organisations upon their request. If you do not wish your details to be used for these purposes, please tick this box