The Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service is provided by a team consisting of four qualified and experienced specialist SpLD (Dyslexia) teachers, who all work part time (total 1.8 teachers) across Devon.

We offer assessments and consultations to support, advise and guide schools and parents of children with severe and persistent specific literacy difficulties. We offer a variety of regular training opportunities through the Primary and Secondary Dyslexia Network meetings, as well as ongoing CPD opportunities for all staff in Devon schools. See below for upcoming dates.

Who do we work with?

We work in partnership with schools, staff, individual children and their families.

What do we do?

We enable staff to meet the needs of pupils with SpLD (Dyslexia) including:

• High-quality teaching
• Targeted group interventions
• Individualised learning
• Whole-school development, consultancy and training.

Direct engagement with parents and carers is always facilitated in partnership with school staff.

How do schools access the service?

Primary and secondary settings

Support from the SpLD (Dyslexia) Service for school aged children (Year 1 onwards) continues through Devon’s referral process.

To access our Service, the SENCO must ensure that the referral meets our eligibility criteria outlined in: Eligibility Criteria 2025-26.

Devon’s graduated response

The graduated response tool has been developed to support Devon schools. The tool outlines some of the practices and adaptations that are part and parcel of Quality First Teaching (QFT): the inclusion of all pupils in high-quality everyday personalised teaching.

Training opportunities with the Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service

Network meetings

Drop in sessions

These sessions intend to provide SENCOs and HLTAs with support and advice on issues related to those pupils experiencing severe and persistent difficulties with literacy. If you would like to secure a slot on these sessions, please use the appropriate link below to make a booking. The sessions are 15-minute.

• Book one slot only when you have a specific case/group/issue to discuss.
• Be prepared please ensure the right person attends – someone who knows the CYP and situation well (for example, who can provide info on any additional needs). Have key, up-to-date information to hand (if relevant: single word spelling results, 10 min piece of writing, examples of writing/spelling etc.)
• Use the Targeted Support Framework before booking this is an expectation. The Devon SpLD Service can then strengthen your graduated approach through further advice and support.
• Act early don’t wait for crisis point.
• Implement existing advice first if you’ve received or are awaiting professional input, implement this first, through your graduated approach, before booking.
• A drop-in alone is not evidence of a graduated approach it is a supportive conversation to guide your next steps. You are responsible for implementing and evidencing actions, as part of your assess, plan, do, review cycle.
• Please cancel your slot (using your booking link) if you cannot attend.

Please be aware that from September 2026, we are changing the way we offer our drop-in sessions. Rather than booking on a primary or secondary session, we are now offering sessions by area:  North Devon, South Devon or East Devon. Exeter is covered by Rebecca Hughes and Deborah Lynch, and Mid-Devon by Ossian Pleasance and Deborah Lynch – so please book a session with your present Advisory Teacher.

Online training courses

If you would like to attend one of the courses listed below, please contact ann.atherton@qe.devon.sch.uk

Morning courses

All morning courses are aimed primarily at Teaching Assistants, but teachers and SENDCos are also welcome. They are held via Zoom, on a Tuesday morning, from 9.30am – 12.00pm, and are currently free of charge.

• Phonics and Spelling
  •  Tuesday 13 October
• Struggling Writers
  • Tuesday 15 September  
  • Tuesday 8 December
• Reading Interventions (two mornings)
  • Reading morning 1 Tuesday 3rd  November
  • Reading morning 2 Tuesday 17th November

If you would like to attend one of the courses listed above, please email ann.atherton@qe.devon.sch.uk

Afternoon courses

Reading Volunteers

• Tuesday 24 November – 1.15pm-2.45pm

For any further information, or to book a place on any of the above courses, please do not phone QE directly in order to make contact with the Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service since staff are often out and about visiting Devon’s schools. Please contact us at devonspld@devon.gov.uk

Through years of hands-on teaching experience, specialist teachers from Devon’s Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) Service have observed that a purely phonics-based approach does not meet the needs of every child in developing effective literacy skills. This is often particularly true for those students who have a specific learning difficulty (dyslexia) and have weak phonological awareness and often poor working memory skills. For these pupils, it is essential that a whole word approach to literacy (including visual support and a focus on morphology, etymology and orthography) is employed in addition to catch-up phonics.

The phonics programme a school chooses for catch-up provision should be a Systematic Synthetic Programme (SSP), as for beginner readers. However, for older pupils who are still at the earliest stages of learning to read and spell, schools will need to explore a more age-appropriate version of the school’s present SSP or consider following an alternative SSP that is aimed at the pupil’s age group, as well as targeted teaching that develops spelling and literacy through morphology, etymology and orthography (please see ‘The Writing Framework’ 2025: page 7, 42,45,82).

The phrase ‘fidelity to the programme’ suggests that schools should adhere to the school’s SSP programme’s specific systems and terminology so as not to confuse pupils by mixing material from different SSP programmes across different classrooms (The Reading Framework, 2023: page 47). ’Fidelity to the programme’ does not exclude the use of morphology, etymology and orthography for supporting reading (The Reading Framework, 2023: page 63, 70, 105) or spelling:

‘The guidance considers the challenges of the complex alphabetic code in English and recommends developing pupils’ knowledge of orthography, morphology and etymology when appropriate, to help them to spell accurately.’

The Writing Framework, 2025: page 7

LEAP Workshops  –  LEAP (Learn. Empower. Advocate. Prepare)

Devon County Council are offering a new programme of practical workshops, to support families and professionals to better understand SEND. They are open to all parents and carers in Devon and Torbay and as long as you have access to a computer, smartphone or tablet with an internet connection, you’ll be able to join – free of charge!

The Devon  SpLD (Dyslexia) Service will be offering a ‘Dyslexia’ session for Devon and Torbay’s parents and carers.  The session will cover questions related to the identification and support of children and young people with severe and persistent literacy difficulties (dyslexia). Parents will come away with clear information and lots of practical suggestions for supporting their child at home. We will also look at raising any concerns you have with school staff and exploring ways forward for your child in their educational setting.

Book onto a LEAP Workshop

Decision Spelling

The Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service is delighted to endorse the Decision Spelling programme designed and written by our advisory teacher, Ossian Pleasance.

It is intended to be used for all learners from Year 2 to Year 6 and is a provision for whole class, small groups and 1:1 teaching. It follows the National Curriculum and because it employs a dyslexia-friendly approach, many of those pupils who struggle to spell accurately have found it extremely helpful to embed the skills needed to spell confidently.

The focus on etymology, vocabulary, and morphology in a multi-sensory way, captures the pupils’ interest and encourages them to engage enthusiastically with an area of the curriculum that can be challenging for many. For further information, please see: www.decisionspelling.com

Contact

In order for schools to access the Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service, the school’s SENCo will need to firstly check that the referral meets our eligibility criteria and then complete a  request for access form to SEND support. 

For further information please see the following links:

• Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service – Dyslexia one minute guides
• thedyslexia-spldtrust.org.uk/
• bdadyslexia.org.uk/
• patoss-dyslexia.org/
• https://dyslexiaguild.org.uk/

Further Information

Devon SpLD Service Referral Policy (June 2026)