Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Consultancy, Initial Teacher Education, Keynotes, Research, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Assessment, Cross-phase English, Initial Teacher Education, Oracy, Primary and Reading
Region available:
International, London, Midlands, National, North and UK
Profile
I work extensively with teachers and schools across the UK. Currently this focuses on reading comprehension across the curriculum, creative approaches to grammar teaching and effective classroom talk. I have written extensively about pedagogy and practice in primary literacy teaching. My most recent publications are Teaching Primary English: Subject Knowledge and Classroom Practice (2nd ed.2024 Routledge) with Eve Bearne, Teaching Grammar Effectively in the Primary Classroom ( 2nd Edition, 2020 UKLA) and Talk For Teaching and Learning: the dialogic classroom (2021 UKLA) with Eve Bearne, Guiding Readers: A handbook for teaching reading comprehension to 7-11 year olds (2016 UCL IoE Press) with Wayne Tennent, Nikki Gamble and Angela Hobsbaum and contributions to Teaching English Creatively (2nd Edition, 2015, ed Teresa Cremin). Other publications include, Teaching Grammar Effectively in Key Stage 1 ( 2016 UKLA), with Eve Bearne and Rebecca Kennedy, Guiding Reading - A Handbook for Teaching Guided Reading in KS2 (Institute of Education, with Angela Hobsbaum and Nikki Gamble) and Developing Writing For Different Purposes-Teaching About Genre In The Early Years (Paul Chapman, with Jeni Riley).I am former General Secretary and Past President of the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) and was a Co-Director of the Cambridge Primary Review Trust (CPRT) from 2013 – 17. Until 2014 I was Principal Adviser for primary schools in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Advisory work for government bodies/organisations, Assessment, Consultancy, Keynotes, Research, Teaching/working with pupils, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Assessment, Cross-phase English, Primary, Reading and Transition
Social media:
@moonmaddy
Website:
www.topsyhouse.co.uk
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Writing
Social media:
@WritingRocks_17
Website:
www.writing4pleasure.com
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Consultancy, Teaching/working with pupils, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Cross-phase English, Curriculum Design, Initial Teacher Education, Primary and Reading
Region available:
Midlands, National, Online and UK
Social media:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauraspargo Bluesky: @lauraspargo.bskysocial Substack: https://substack.com/@lauraspargo
Website:
www.lauraspargo.com
Testimonials
" 'Having Laura in to our school has transformed the way we teach English lessons and given the teachers the confidence to adapt planning and lessons to the needs of their class.' Rachel Boswell, Executive Headteacher, Tibshelf Infant School, Derbyshire."
" 'It’s always a joy to collaborate with someone who brings such clarity, depth, and heart to the work. I very much hope we’ll find more opportunities to work together in the future. Thank you once again for helping to make the session so memorable.' Nadine Abeng, Education Partner, Birmingham Education Partnership."
" 'We recently received training from Laura and have already booked her in for a return visit. It has sometimes proved difficult to find someone with the right skills, knowledge and passion to really engage our staff during training days but she provided us with the best training we have had for a long time!' Nikki Ingram, Literacy Coordinator, Dame Allan’s Junior School. "
Profile
Having led Primary English across the UK, Spain and Dubai, and with a career in education spanning over 16 years, Laura is an experienced practitioner and subject specialist. Passionate about inspiring and supporting educators in cultivating reading and writing experiences which are inclusive and ambitious, Laura has presented at a number of conferences and works with a range of educational organisations. She is a member of the Opening Doors team, supporting schools in creating a quality English curriculum, rooted in providing inclusive learning experiences and promoting equity and excellence for all. She is a also a Just Imagine trainer and content contributor, providing bespoke training and consultancy opportunities for schools, academy trusts and wider organisations on all aspects of teaching English, literacy and dialogic pedagogy. Laura is a proud member of the English Association's Primary and Early Years Education Committee.
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Personal Information
Social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-pattison-71119083
Website:
www.theliteracyadvisor.co.uk
Profile
I currently lead one of the 34 English Hubs, a priority investment literacy project and fulfil the role of Early Reading lead for a large primary-based trust. After headship, I made the transition into consultancy work so that I could follow my passion for supporting early literacy. In recent years, I have enhanced my expertise further and also work independently as a Literacy advisor. Further details can be found here:https://theliteracyadvisor.co.uk
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Advisory work for government bodies/organisations, Consultancy, Teaching/working with pupils and Training
Specialism:
Early Years, Phonics, Primary, Reading and Writing
Region available:
Midlands and South
Social media:
@Julie_Sargent1
Website:
www.innovateducation.co.uk
Testimonials
"Thank you once again for yesterday’s training session. It was just what the team needed: non-threatening, encouraging and full of practical suggestions."
"We have had some real success so far with the text-based planning and some lovely feedback from the children about it. It is having an impact!"
"Just a note of thanks for yesterday's training. It was incredibly helpful and very clear to follow. I appreciated every minute. It was engaging and interactive as well as relaxed and conversational. And who knew that you could do so many amazing collaborative things (break out groups and visualisers) on Zoom!"
Profile
I work with SLT, English subject leaders and staff in developing all aspects of primary English. Bespoke support could include: developing the reading and writing curriculum, progression and development of literacy skills; planning units of work with teachers; or specific subject leader support. I also offer a variety of training around aspects of literacy such as phonics and spelling; teaching grammar in context; reading for meaning; and developing writers.
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Assessment, Assessment, Consultancy, Research, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Oracy and Primary
Region available:
Midlands
Social media:
@rebeccakennedy39
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Assessment, Consultancy and Training
Specialism:
Assessment, Curriculum Design, Oracy, Primary and Reading
Region available:
London, Online and South
Profile
I have over 25 years’ experience of teaching in secondary and primary schools, with a particular focus on English and assessment. I have helped to raise standards in schools by providing specialist English training, targeted support and coaching for teachers and senior leaders. I am currently the Moderation Manager for Brent, overseeing moderation processes for KS2 writing and providing statutory assessment/moderation training. I have delivered highly-evaluated training courses for a number of London local authorities and bespoke in-service training for schools. My training offers practical and effective ideas for immediate use and impact in the classroom.
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