The summer term is a time to reflect and plan for the new school year. Take advantage of the CPD opportunities available to learn about the latest research and develop your practice ready for the autumn.  There are conferences, courses and webinars covering all aspects of the literacy curriculum for primary and secondary practitioners. Find an event to suit your needs.

Conferences

• OU Reading and Writing for Pleasure Conference: Explore effective, research-informed approaches to encourage children and young people to read and/or write for pleasure at this one-day conference for primary and secondary practitioners on 15th June at The Open University in Milton Keynes.
  • Cost: £45
• Dimensions of Dyslexia- Evidence and Practice: Taking place at the University of Surrey on 20th and 21st June, the British Dyslexia Association’s 13th International Conference provides an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to discuss developments in the field of dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.
  • Cost: From £171/£190 for a one day ticket.
• English Grammar Day: Join researchers and expert practitioners on 28^th June at the British Library in London to explore the cultural significance of English language knowledge and the role of English grammar teaching in schools today.
  • Cost: £15 (£10 concessions)
• English Assessment: Hear the latest research into the state of assessment in KS3 English and explore ways to assess reading and writing that support an effective and engaging English curriculum for teachers and students at this one-day conference from the English & Media Centre in London on 28th June.
  • Cost £150.
• Transforming SEND and Alternative Provision: Sign up for a day of presentations and practical workshops dedicated to sharing expertise and best practice to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND on 28th June in Manchester.
  • Cost: £195 early bird rate until 17th May. £245 full rate
• NATE 2024 Annual Conference takes place on 1st July at King’s College London. The theme for this year’s conference is A Celebration of English Teaching and Practice.  Explore a range of key issues within secondary English through a selection of keynote presentations, workshops and seminars.
  • Cost: £39/£49 for NATE members/non-members. Discounts for Trainees and ECTs available.
• National Literacy Trust Secondary Conference takes place on 1 July 2024 in Manchester on the theme of Oracy Matters. Emeritus Professor Neil Mercer and a range of expert speakers explore how speaking and listening skills impact on academic success, employment, well-being and sense of self.
  • Cost: £150 early bird price until 24th May. £175 standard rate.
• UKLA International Conference 2024 takes place from 5th – 7th July at the University of Sussex. The theme for this year’s conference is Making the Difference: What Has Had an Impact on Learning, Engagement and Attitudes. Delegates will have the opportunity to hear about the latest research and best practice from across the spectrum of literacy education, with a particular focus on disadvantaged pupils and students.
  • Cost: £230/£310 for UKLA members/non-members for the full 3 days until 3rd May. £300/£360 standard rate. Single day access also available.

CPD Courses 

Reading and Writing

• Talk for Writing – Non-Fiction: Learn how to implement Pie Corbett’s popular Talk for Writing approach to develop confident and creative non-fiction writers at an in-person event in York on 28th June.
  • Cost: From £195 + VAT (location dependent).
• Spelling Theory and Research: Get an overview of the latest research into the teaching and learning of early spelling and come away with practical activities to support the teaching of spelling at this online webinar from FFT on 19th June.
  • Cost Free
• Teaching Writing in the Primary Years: Enhance your knowledge and understanding of how to teach writing with one of CLPE’s phase-specific webinars covering EYFS to Year 6. Learn about the skills, knowledge and attitudes that underpin progress in writing at each stage, approaches that support an authentic writing process, strategies that enable children to use and apply spelling, punctuation and grammar knowledge in real writing contexts, and how to use quality texts to provide inspiration and rich models for pupils’ own writing. The four webinars take place between the 11th and 20th June. Full day in-person courses are also available from 25th June to 5th July at CLPE’s offices in London.
  • Cost: £60/£195 for the online/in-person courses.
• Leading the English Curriculum with the Power of Reading: Discover how CLPE’s flagship literacy training programme can support your school to develop a high quality literacy curriculum that fosters a whole school love of reading and raises achievement in literacy at a free introductory webinar on 13th June.
  • Cost: Free.
• Teaching Reading in Years 5 and 6: Explore best-practice strategies to ensure pupils in UKS2 develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become fluent, independent readers at this one-day course at CLPE’s London-based offices.
  • Cost: £195
• English Grammar for Teachers:  Enhance your grammatical subject knowledge and explore how grammar can be used to improve reading and writing with an online course from UCL’s expert Englicious team. Suitable for primary and secondary teachers, there are courses through June and July, starting on 14th June.
  • Cost: £49.
• Developing Reading for Pleasure at KS3: Explore the latest reading for pleasure research and guidance, and get tips and advice on developing a culture of reading at KS3 at this online webinar from BookTrust on 19th June.
  • Cost: Free
• CLPE Open House: Find out more about the work of CLPE and how, as the leading Subject Association for Primary Literacy, it can support your school in the new academic year at this informal session at CLPE’s London office on 20th June.
  • Cost: Free.
• First Story CPD Teaching Creative Writing: Explore approaches to encourage authentic and well-crafted writing from KS3 and KS4 pupils in this EMC online webinar on 26th June. The course is based on the experience of professional writers working in schools as part of First Story’s Young Writers Programme.
  • Cost: £45.
• Teaching Phonics to Support Reading and Writing in KS2: Learn how to teach phonics in the context of a rich reading curriculum to support older early readers and writers in KS2 at this CLPE webinar on 26th June. Participants will cover how to identify gaps in learners’ phonic knowledge, practical teaching strategies to support older early readers and writers, how to choose and use rich, age-appropriate children’s literature to support older early readers.
  • Cost: £60.
• Phonics Subject Knowledge for Key Stage 2 and Secondary: This FFT online webinar on 26th June provides KS2 and secondary practitioners with phonic subject knowledge and practical advice to enable them to support older readers to develop their decoding skills and reading fluency. It is also available on 4th July.
  • Cost: Free
• The Spelling Conference: Improve spelling outcomes with this one-day introduction to Jane Considine’s best-selling Spelling Training. This in-person course takes place in Northamptonshire on 28^th June.
  • Cost: £215.
• Planning Literacy Around a Text: Explore how to develop a text-based literacy curriculum with one of  CLPE’s phase-specific webinars. Each webinar focuses on a single title to demonstrate how a text-based unit can be used to support children as developing readers and writers, providing contextualised opportunities for phonics, language and grammar, comprehension, and writing.  There are dedicated webinars for EYFS, KS1, LKS2 and UKS2 running from 1st to 4th July.
  • Cost: £30
• Getting Literature Right at KS3: Examine how students best learn about and through literature at KS3 with practical ideas to take away and recommendations for texts that work well for this age group. This EMC online course takes place on 2nd July.
  • Cost: £175.
• Building Vocabulary in KS1 and KS2: Enhance your understanding of how reading and vocabulary work together and develop practical strategies for teaching vocabulary and closing the ‘vocabulary gap’ in this online course from the National Literacy Trust on 3rd July.
  • Cost: £140 (discount for full NLT members available.)
• ESSENTIAL Writing – An Introduction: Find out more about HFL Education’s new writing scheme and learn how to implement it effectively across all year groups in this series of webinars covering the planning and core texts for each year group from from Y1-6. The webinars run from 9th – 12th July.
  • Cost: £59 + VAT
• Developing Reading for Pleasure: Engaging Young Readers Sign up for this free online course from the OU that explores the latest reading for pleasure research and outlines an effective framework to promote reader engagement.  You can start the course at any time and do it at your own pace.
  • Cost: Free.

Oracy

• Getting Oracy Right: Explore the role of oracy in the secondary English classroom and ways to make it most productive in an online course from the English & Media Centre on 18th June.
  • Cost: £45
• Oracy: Learning through Talk: Consider how to develop an engaging and progressive speaking and listening curriculum that supports primary pupils to become articulate speakers and critical thinkers in a range of contexts in this half-day training day from HFL Education at Summerswood Primary School in Hertfordshire on 24th June.
  • Cost: £103 + VAT
• Teaching Oracy in the Primary Classroom: Enhance your understanding of the four strands of oracy and explore practical strategies to embed oracy skills effectively across the curriculum in an online webinar for primary teachers and TAs from Dandelion Learning on 25th June.
  • Cost: £65 +VAT per person or £300 + VAT for a whole school.

Media Literacy

• Teaching News with 7-9 Year-Olds: Find out how to help pupils aged 7-9 develop key oracy and critical literacy skills through learning about the news. This free webinar on 18th June introduces the new, fully-resourced unit of work from the NewsWise team.
  • Cost: Free
• The Economist Educational Foundation: Gain practical teaching tips for managing discussions on complex topics and building news literacy with pupils aged 10+. Each module of this online CPD course comes with a fully-resourced lesson plan to implement in the classroom. The course can be accessed at any time.
  • Cost: Free

Supporting EAL Students

• Explore the range of short online courses offered by the EAL Academy to support EAL practitioners. The courses can be started at any time and take 12 – 15 hours to complete. Choose from topics such as EAL Beginners in the Mainstream Classroom, Leading EAL, and EAL and SEND.
  • Cost £195 + VAT.
• Empowering EAL Learners to Overcome Barriers and Enhance Attainment|Secondary: Explore evidence-based, practical strategies to support EAL students and help them overcome the various challenges they face in secondary classrooms. This webinar from The EAL Academy and The National College can be accessed at any time.
  • Cost: £60 + VAT.

Supporting SEND Students

• Developing Effective Pedagogical Practice for Pupils with SEND: Get practical advice and guidance on how to embed effective teaching practices for pupils with SEND to increase engagement and reduce the need for additional support in this webinar created by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen) in collaboration with The National College. The webinar can be watched at any time.
  • Cost: £60 (+VAT).

For Librarians

• Reading Journeys: A Pathway to Wellbeing: Discuss findings from the Reading and Wellbeing project at Edinburgh University, explore how reading fiction supports wellbeing, and gain insights on how to use these findings to improve the quality and depth of young people’s reading experiences in a one-hour webinar hosted by the School Library Association on 1st July.
  • Cost £30.