Sharing Dyslexia Best Practice

Posted at 12:53 pm on 6th November, 2018

Schools from as far as Australia Visit to Learn Dyslexia Best Practice

Wellacre has hosted visitors from both near and far due to the school’s Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark, a Trafford award validated by the Dyslexia Aware Consortium of North West Schools.  Recent secondary school visitors have travelled from both neighbouring Bury, Lancashire and as far away as Perth, Western Australia to learn about the standards expected to achieve ‘Dyslexia-Friendly Status’.

Wellacre’s SENDCO, Mrs Sally Spencer, said:

“It is a pleasure to welcome visitors to our dyslexia-friendly school and showcase all the amazing work we do at Wellacre to ensure that our good practice is going from strength-to-strength.  In touring the school, classrooms and visiting lessons, we are proud to offer an insight and understanding in the requirements for a Dyslexia friendly school”

Early in the year, Hale School, a selective boarding school for boys, based in Western Australia contacted Wellacre following research into Dyslexia-Friendly best practice.  

Travelling all the way from Perth to learn from Wellacre, Mrs Ronel Gildenhuys, Learning Support Teacher at Hale School, said:

“I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to Miss Wicks, Principal, and the staff and students at Wellacre for the opportunity to visit your school and experience, first hand, their inclusive work with students with dyslexia.  I will take away many ideas and introduce my gained knowledge back home.

“I was very impressed with the whole school approach to facilitate students’ learning, as well as the dedication of the Learning Support staff.  A 'nothing-is-impossible' approach was clearly visible in their daily interactions, which I believe is appreciated and reciprocated by the students.”  

As part of the week-long visit, the Learning Support team organised a schedule of learning visits including dyslexia friendly lessons, small group interventions and one-to-one student interventions.  Students with dyslexia also met with visiting colleagues to offer their own personal experience and insight.  

Wellacre Teaching Assistant Mrs Louisa Tunney said:

“A number of our dyslexic students met with with our visitors and expressed their first hand experience of Wellacre.  Students, such as Year 10 Matthew who has been involved for a number of years in the school achieving the dyslexia-friendly status, communicated how Wellacre’s support has greatly benefitted them in reaching their full potential.”

Mrs Thatcher from St. Gabriel’s RC High School, in Bury, also visited Wellacre to support their work to achieve their own Dyslexia Friendly Mark.

In November 2017, Wellacre was the first secondary school in the North West to be awarded the Dyslexia Friendly Schools Quality Mark, a Trafford award granted to schools meeting the standards of providing fully inclusive, quality education for dyslexic students.