Learning Support Service
Room 600 Rutland Building
County Hall, Glenfield
Leicester, LE3 8RA
Contact: Jennifer Cotton - LSS Training Co-ordinator
Jennifer.cotton@leics.gov.uk
0116 3059400
Courses specifically designed for KS 3 & 4
Highly appropriate for KS3 Catch Up Interventions etc. and use of Pupil Premium.
Training for Secondary Schools/Academies
Offered by the Learning Support Service
Dear Colleague,
The Learning Support Service provides a range of training opportunities to develop the
knowledge and skills of people who support the learning of students with SEN in school.
These courses are detailed below under the headings:
1. Training for teaching assistants supporting in the classroom
2. Courses for staff who are working to enable students to catch up with literacy and
mathematics
3. Courses which develop staff’s knowledge of specific areas and awareness of appropriate
strategies and resources to use.
All of our training courses take into account:
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the needs of the dyslexic student
that ‘Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the
pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants’
(SEND Code of Practice 2015)
the findings of the latest research - ‘Making best use of teaching assistants’ (*Sharples, J.
Webster, B. and Blatchford, P. 2015 ‘Making the best use of teaching assistants’ Education Endowment
Foundation.)
It is envisaged that schools/academies will host the training. Details of any necessary
equipment etc required by the trainer will be discussed at the time of booking. Please note that
we are happy for schools to get together to share the training and costs (usually to a maximum
of 25 participants, unless negotiated beforehand). Again, this needs to be arranged at the time
of booking.
Please check out our website for courses which we mainly hold at County Hall (a search for
Learning Support Service, Leicestershire, locates the page quickly) and please do ring to
discuss any bespoke packages; we are more than happy to tailor INSET for your own particular
school’s needs.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Jennifer Cotton
Area Team Leader and Training Co-ordinator
1. Supporting in the classroom
Title
Supporting in the
secondary
classroom – general
Focus

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Supporting reading
in the secondary
classroom
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Supporting spelling
in the secondary
classroom

Supporting memory
in the secondary
classroom
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Length
Cost
Key facets of the TA role
What inclusion is
Inclusion in the classroom
Developing and maintaining pupils’
motivation and independence
Ideas to try
1.5 hours
£207.00
To consider briefly the knowledge
and skills required for reading,
including phonics
To develop strategies to support
struggling readers across the
curriculum.
1.5 hours
£207.00
To consider spelling across the
curriculum
To develop strategies to support
struggling spellers across the
curriculum
1.5 hours
£207.00
To consider the different types of
memory and what makes things
memorable.
To consider ways in which we can
support help students with weak
memories
To examine some strategies/study
skills for students to use.
1.5 hours
£207.00
For all the above courses, where appropriate, a disc of resources will be supplied. The
materials on the disc can be freely shared amongst staff at the school/academy.
2. Enabling individuals and small groups to catch up
Title
Identifying and
supporting
individual reading
difficulties
Identifying and
supporting
individual spelling
difficulties
Focus
 Informally assess a pupil’s reading
skills at word level
 Understand the different types of
reading difficulties pupils have
when tackling texts
 Take a running record so they can
observe a reader and take a close
look at a learner’s reading
strengths and weaknesses when
reading texts
 Match any book to any pupil so
he/she is reading a book that’s just
right (greater than 90% accuracy)
 Be aware of 6 things good readers
do when reading texts and use
prompts to help pupils be effective,
independent readers
 Provide personalised support in the
areas a pupil needs it
Length
2 x 2 hour
sessions, with a
gap of around 2
weeks in
between
Cost
£552.00
Administer a formal spelling
assessment e.g. Vernon or SWST
Administer inf,ormal spelling
assessments including phonics and
high frequency words
Administer a graded dictation
Analyse the spelling of a student
Plan next steps for learning
Have knowledge of a range of
resources to support spelling.
Be able to support and develop
students’ spelling through a range
of strategies
2 x 2 hour
sessions, with a
gap of around 2
weeks in
between
£552.00
This course has a wider focus than the
spelling course. Spelling is examined (but
not in so much detail)
 Analyse a student’s piece of writing
in terms of organisation,
punctuation and spelling
 Identify the student’s learning
needs
 Have a range of strategies and
resources to support the student’s
needs
 Be familiar with a variety of
different ways for students to show
their learning
2 x 2 hour
sessions, with a
gap of around 2
weeks in
between
£552.00







Identifying and
supporting
individual writing
difficulties
For all the above courses, a disc of resources will be supplied. The materials on the disc
can be freely shared amongst staff at the school/academy.
3. Developing underlying knowledge and skills
Title
Fundamental
phonics
Focus
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Dyslexia awareness
Current views on the teaching of
phonics
The difference between
phonological awareness and
phonics
How phonological skills underpin
reading and spelling development
Current terminology relating to
phonics
The phases of phonic development
Resources and strategies to
develop phonic skills
An overview of dyslexia including:
 Definitions
 Barriers to learning
 Strengths
 Dyslexia friendly classrooms
 The Inclusion Development
Programme
Length
Cost
2 hours
£276.00
Approx 2 hours
( can be
adjusted to
different time
lengths)
£138.00
per hour