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Nicola has worked in Lancashire since 1997 as a primary teacher, senior leader and consultant. She joined the English and Literacy Team in May 2004 after several years as a Leading Literacy Teacher and Leading Subject Leader.Nicola has worked extensively with the BBC and the British Film Institute (BFI) to develop literacy approaches via the use of film, and holds Lead Practitioner status with the BFI. In 2009, Nicola was awarded NPQH, and in 2010 became an accredited Local Consultant for Improvement in Stronger Management Systems and Support for Writing. In 2012, Nicola was quality assured by DfE for leading phonics in Lancashire with an outstanding accreditation. Since then, she has led the development and publication of the systematic, synthetic phonics programme Red Rose Letters and Sounds and the Red Rose Spelling Suite. During her time as a consultant, Nicola has contributed and led on the development of a wide range of publications to support schools, such as the widely used Key Learning in Reading and Writing, Learning and Progression Steps in Reading and Writing (LAPS), Key Learning Indicators of Performance in Reading and Writing (KLIPS) and Sentence Exemplification documents.Nicola is passionate about the use of spoken language to underpin the effective teaching and learning of reading and writing, and she has designed and implemented the popular Talk Programmes across Lancashire since 2018 alongside the consultant team. Nicola is currently the Lancashire Lead Moderator for KS2 Writing and trains moderator teams to ensure robust assessment processes support all schools effectively. She has a highly regarded reputation for working with an extensive range of schools across Lancashire, and beyond, via sustained packages of support in order to raise standards in EYFS, KS1 and KS2 in phonics, reading and writing. Her expertise for supporting schools to develop curriculum maps and pathways is second to none!Nicola is also Chair of the National Association of Advisers in English (NAAE) and a member of The Common English Forum, who meet regularly with the Department for Education. Nicola was appointed to the Senior Consultant role in October 2017.

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English adviser committed to developing people and solving real problems that shape strong schools.

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Janet was a highly effective teacher in primary schools in Birmingham for 15 years. She had successful experience of subject leadership and middle management. She also worked for the local authority as an INSPIRE tutor, developing workshops to help parents to support their children’s learning.In 2007, Janet joined the Staffordshire Local Authority as a Primary English Advisor. She provided support and professional development to improve teaching and learning in English. In a wider role for the LA, Janet had extensive experience of leading whole school review and improvement as a School Improvement Professional. She worked with a range of schools including those in challenging circumstances or an Ofsted category; clusters of small schools and good/outstanding schools.Since 2017, Janet was the strategic lead for Primary Statutory Assessment, moderation manager for KS1 and lead moderator for KS1 and KS2.Now working as an independent consultant, Janet continues to support schools in English, Assessment and Whole School Improvement. She specialises in: devising and delivering training; supporting the role of subject leaders; leading whole school initiatives; working alongside teachers and consultancy in all aspects of English. Her assessment work now spans across the Midlands, as Janet continues to be a LA moderator and also supports Statutory Assessment in several Local Authorities to train moderators, lead training and provide CPD through Assessment networks and moderation courses. With strong links to STA, she co-ordinates the Midlands Moderation Managers Support group.

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As a former local authority English advisor and headteacher, I have extensive leadership experience as well as curriculum expertise. I work across the country supporting academy trusts, local authorities, schools and other organisations in improving teaching, strengthening leadership and developing curriculum. I am currently the chair of the National Association of Advisors in English (NAAE) as well as working with organisations such as The National Literacy Trust (NLT) and the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) as an associate consultant/teacher and I am a member of the United Kingdom Literacy Association's (UKLA) Awards and Members Committee. I am passionate about research-informed practice and in supporting teachers to understand how children learn to read and write.

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I have over 25 years of experience as a teacher, including 18 years of leadership and advisory work in schools. I have led on Literacy and English at school and trust leadership level across primary, secondary, alternative provision and special education, delivering whole school and trust INSET including keynotes and conferences; supporting middle leaders with curriculum design and in integrating subject-specific literacy development; and training subject teachers in implementing literacy strategies in the classroom. I have a particular interest and expertise in English curriculum design and developing English teachers' pedagogic content knowledge. I am also an expert in teenage reading support and have worked on reading projects for GL Assessment, FFT and the DfE.

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I am an English Advisor and educational consultant with extensive expertise across Primary, Secondary, Alternative Provision and Further Education. Over more than twentythree years, I have developed specialist knowledge in English curriculum design, literacy strategy, reading development, SEND, and teacher training. My work centres on strengthening English provision through evidencebased practice, highquality professional development, and inclusive pedagogical approaches.My expertise in reading spans early acquisition through to advanced comprehension. I have led largescale reading improvement work across diverse educational settings, supporting multiacademy trusts and local authorities to embed coherent, researchinformed literacy strategies. I have delivered national training on inference instruction and contributed to governmentfunded literacy initiatives, applying research to practical classroom approaches that improve outcomes for all learners.In Further Education, I contribute to the DfEfunded GCSE English Resit Training Programme, supporting colleges to improve teaching, curriculum sequencing and learner engagement for students retaking English GCSE. This work draws on deep knowledge of literacy barriers, responsive pedagogy, and approaches that rebuild confidence and competence for learners who have previously struggled with English.I also have significant expertise in Alternative Provision, where I have led literacy strategy for vulnerable and marginalised learners. My work prioritises relational practice, accessible curriculum design, and the central role of reading and writing in enabling academic progress, personal development and future opportunity.My research interests focus on children’s literature, particularly radical and socially responsible texts that support critical engagement, identity formation and social awareness. I contribute to sector publications, editorial work and professional discourse through articles, commentary and conference presentations on literacy, inclusion and English pedagogy.I work closely with multiacademy trusts and local authorities, and I am a Trustee for Human Scale Education, a member of the English Association and the Chartered College of Teaching, and an active participant in regional SEND networks. Across all areas of my work, my expertise supports educators to deliver English teaching that enables every learner to read confidently, write purposefully and engage critically with the world.

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Jo Beer is a Senior Lecturer in Primary English and Religious Education with over thirty years’ experience across primary education, teacher education, curriculum development, mentoring, consultancy, governance and professional learning.Her work is rooted in a passion for language, literacy and communication, supporting teachers to develop confident, reflective and research-informed practice. She teaches Primary English across undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education programmes, with particular interests in early reading, phonics, writing, storytelling and children’s literature. Alongside this, she teaches Religious Education, Professional Studies and Arts in Education, bringing an interdisciplinary perspective to learning, creativity and meaning-making in the primary classroom.Before joining higher education, Jo spent nearly twenty years teaching in primary schools, holding leadership responsibilities across Early Years and Key Stage 1, as well as English-related areas including assessment, curriculum development and subject leadership. This extensive classroom experience continues to inform her university teaching, partnership work and professional development programmes.Jo’s research and professional interests focus on primary English, literacy development, teacher presence and professional identity. She is particularly interested in how stories, language and literature support children’s learning, and how teachers develop the confidence, authenticity and subject knowledge needed to create engaging and inclusive classroom environments.Alongside her academic role, Jo contributes to governance, quality assurance and educational leadership through external examining, trusteeship and school governance. She is an active member of professional organisations including UKLA, the English Association, NATRE and AREIAC, and is committed to connecting subject expertise with thoughtful, evidence-informed classroom practice.

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I have extensive experience in the primary phase as a teacher, deputy headteacher, local authority English advisor and now as the director of Primary English Education Consultancy.I write for several educational publishers, create resources for the Primary English website and provide training and consultancy support to schools, SCITTs and MATs.

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