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:
Consultancy, Research, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Curriculum Design
Region available:
International
Social media:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-smith-ba780667/
Website:
www.literacyshed.com
Profile
I have over 10 years of teaching experience in the Primary Classroom, followed by sharing my teaching experiences through film and animation to inspire both reading and writing. This led to the development of The Literacy Shed, a resource now used in most primary schools in the UK and beyond. I have contributed to several academic publications and developed curricula for Spelling, Reading and Writing, which are now used in thousands of primary schools around the world.
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Assessment, Consultancy, Teaching/working with pupils, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Oracy, Primary, Reading and Writing
Region available:
Midlands, National, North, Scotland, South, UK and Wales
Social media:
@RuthBakerLeask
Testimonials
"'Ruth is one of the most knowledgeable, well-informed and enthusiastic people working in the field of primary English. I’ve learnt so much about education from her.' James Clements, writer, researcher and author of ‘Teaching English by the Book."
"'Ruth's training videos deliver great content. Her expertise is underpinned by a deep knowledge of what really works in the classroom, and her presentation style is clear and engaging.' Joe Carter, Head of Content, Teach Primary"
"'Ruth exudes passion and common sense which is infectious. My staff were genuinely inspired working alongside her, and she had a clear impact on us achieving outstanding in our OFSTED.' Darrell Butler, Principal, Jon Locke Academy, London"
"'Due to Ruth’s support, we have seen staff confidence grow in how to identify and use quality texts effectively. As a result, there has been a huge improvement in our writing! We now see our children enjoying writing and wanting to write and being able to self edit and improve.' Sally Robbins, English Leader, Pedmore C of E Primary School, West Midlands"
"'Ruth’s energy and expertise have led to the development of a completely new curriculum approach to the teaching and learning of English in the 6 primary schools within our trust. She has efficiently coordinated working with our subject leaders to produce clear and comprehensive resources, which encompass both the skills and content required by the National Curriculum in years 1-6. In the absence of face-to-face sessions, the videos Ruth produced as professional development for our teachers have been very well received. Engaging, motivating, inspiring, professional and responsive - we couldn’t have asked for more!' Katy Russell, Head of School Development, East Midlands Academy Trust"
Profile
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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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Consultancy, Initial Teacher Education and Writing
Specialism:
Assessment, Cross-phase English, Early Years, Handwriting, Higher Education, Oracy, Phonics, Primary and Reading
Profile
A primary teacher of 20 years, leader of English, English advisor, consultant and ITT lecturer - I have a keen interest in supporting pupils, students, teachers and leaders in embedding the most up to date, evidence informed approaches to English across the entire primary and secondary range:
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Assessment, Consultancy, Initial Teacher Education, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Cross-phase English, Curriculum Design, Drama, Oracy, Primary, Reading, Secondary, Secondary Literacy, Transition and Writing
Region available:
International, National and Online
Social media:
Instagram: @janebranson Facebook: JaneBransonLearning
Website:
https://www.janebransonlearning.co.uk/
Profile
I deliver consultancy, advice and training for primary and secondary schools. Drawing on over 30 years' experience as teacher, leader, consultant and school governor, I have a warm, practical approach which develops colleagues in creative and grounded ways. As a specialist in reading, grammar, writing and oracy, I have worked in over a hundred schools to support teachers and students aged 4-18 years. I have also written numerous student and teacher textbooks, and I have experience of working with a range of organisations include the National Association for Able Children in Education, the UK Literacy Association and the DfE.
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Assessment, Consultancy, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Curriculum Design, Oracy, Primary, Reading and Writing
Region available:
Midlands, National, Online, Scotland and Wales
Social media:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-christie-1229aa312
Website:
www.writersandreaders.co.uk
Profile
With 16 years of experience in primary education and an unparalleled passion for language, I am a freelance primary English consultant, and former Assistant Headteacher. My work centres around helping teachers and schools with intentional composition: teaching children how writing actually works with true purpose and audience, and reigniting the passion in English education. My portfolio includes leading local authority writing moderation, creating high-quality curriculum content for trusted platforms like BBC Bitesize, and working alongside schools to improve their reading and writing curricula. I support schools and educators with tailored English consultancy, aiming to reignite the passion in English education. I lead school-wide reviews and design in curriculum development, assessment, and creating reading- and writing-rich cultures. My ongoing work as a KS2 moderator gives me a deep understanding of accurate teacher assessment and how to embed purpose-driven pedagogy without "teaching to the test."
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Assessment, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Assessment, Curriculum Design, Further Education and Oracy
Profile
Experienced advisor for UK qualifications in English, including Entry Level, GCSE, A-Level and enrichment. Teacher of English in post-16 settings for over 20 years; A-Level examiner and coursework moderator; curriculum leadership.
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Personal Information
Type of work offered:
Assessment, Consultancy, Initial Teacher Education, Research, Training and Writing
Specialism:
Assessment, Early Years, Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, Oracy, Phonics, Primary, Reading, Secondary, Secondary Literacy and Transition
Region available:
International, Midlands, North, Northern Ireland, Online, Scotland and Wales
Social media:
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-mckie-1b28391a5 https://www.facebook.com/mckiemastery?__tn__=-]C
Website:
www.powerphonicsbooks.com
Testimonials
"Exceptional progress in terms of pupil achievement and engagement"
"Claire McKie's Power Teaching methods could revolutionise the way we teach. Since adopting itwe have seen a consistent level of very high results well above thenational average. The benefits have been high achievement (consistentlyTop 2% in England phonics and KS2 SAT results); great work-life balancefor teachers and spare money (we don't need any additional support).Children have become independent learners and that is the key to PowerTeaching success "
Profile
Former teacher and senior leader in primary, secondary and special provision schools in the North East, with a particular track record in significantly reducing and eliminating the attainment gap in schools operating in high deprivation socio-economic contexts.Founder and Author of DfE England and DoE Western Australia Approved McKie Mastery Power Phonics. Implementing Adaptive Power Teaching in schools nationally, Claire has worked alongside leaders and staff to radically change whole school approaches to pedagogy across the curriculum as well as implementing an Adaptive Power Teaching Infrastructure in English and in Maths. Research published in 2023 found "Exceptional progress across all schools" (Nobari et al 2023). Created a in high deprivation and high SEND classrooms in the North East, the Adaptive Power Toolkits were designed to scaffold learning, behaviour, engagement, oracy reading, writing, spelling and maths mastery for ALL pupils including those who struggle most.SEND Training Partner at SEND Station, Claire delivers online training to teachers and leaders nationally and internationally on Adaptive Teaching Tools designed to best support ALL pupils.Whole School Improvement Partner, Claire has worked nationally with Multi Academy Trusts, mainstream primary, secondary and special provision schools to implement innovative Adaptive Teaching based pedagogy, infrastructure and processes across the curriculum as well as subject-specific changes in English and Maths teaching and learning
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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:
Writing
Profile
Supporting reading, writing, oracy and School Improvement, across the English curriculum.
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