Level 7 (Postgraduate) Qualifications SpLD Teacher/Practitioner/Assessor

The Dyslexia Action Postgraduate Level Qualifications are appropriate for:

• Qualified teachers at all key stages, special educational needs teachers and co-ordinators (SENCOs)
• Tutors and support staff in Further and Higher Education and other adult educational settings
• Psychologists and Speech and language therapists with relevant experience

Prospective students will:

• Be employed (or very recently, within the last two years) in a school or college in a teaching/teaching support role working with learners with literacy difficulties/dyslexia/SpLD in the UK or overseas
• Have a honours degree or equivalent eg., Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Education honours degree plus Qualified Teacher Status (QTS or QTLS) and a minimum of 2 years post qualifying teaching experience
  or
• Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Education honours degree and a minimum of 2 years post qualifying experience, e.g., further or higher education support, employment support, independent school teaching or psychology or occupational/ speech and language therapy
• Candidates will need a high level of competence in the use of English, equivalent to at least IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 in all components) for applicants with English as a Second Language. For further information see the IELTS website.
  See University Regulations for Postgraduate (masters) programmes here.

• The Level 7 Postgraduate programmes are designed for professionals who are passionate about supporting learners with dyslexia.
• This programme was developed and is delivered and assessed by Dyslexia Action, awarded by and quality assured by Middlesex University.  
• Dyslexia Action Postgraduate programmes use the VLE Moodle. Real Training programmes will be delivered using the VLE Campus Online. Both will allow candidates to benefit from expert tutor support through forums and connect with their peers.
• Learn whilst you study, with our practice-led approach helping embed your new theoretical knowledge in your real-world circumstances. Some of the six-month modules may also require you to be involved in practical teaching and assessment whilst others are more theoretically based.
• The core curriculum is delivered by means of a range of e-learning resources. These include presentations, articles, exercises, videos and follow-up activities and tasks for participants to carry out.
• There is no attendance required for this course or expectations to be online at specific times for ‘live’ learning. This gives candidates the flexibility to organise their study time around professional and personal commitments
• Exclusive access to the Dyslexia Action Literacy Programme (DALP), a comprehensive specialist literacy programme for SpLD Specialist Teachers.  DALP provides a pathway for learners with literacy difficulties of all ages, through individual placement identification.

Postgraduate Certificate – Specialist Teaching for Literacy-Related Difficulties

In order to achieve this qualification, you will have to complete the following modules:

• DAPP21-01 Literacy Acquisition – Underpinning Theory (30 credits)
• DAPP21-02 Specialist Literacy Teaching – Linking Theory to Practice (30 credits)

Click here for further information and a programme syllabus.

Postgraduate Diploma – Specialist Assessment and Teaching for Literacy-Related Difficulties

In order to achieve this qualification, you will have to complete the following modules:

• DAPP21-01 Literacy Acquisition – Underpinning Theory (30 credits)
• DAPP21-02 Specialist Literacy Teaching – Linking Theory to Practice (30 credits)
• DAPP21-03 Psychometric Assessment of Literacy-Related Difficulties (30 credits)
• DAPP21-04 Psychometric Assessment of Cognitive Processing (30 credits)

Click here for further information and a programme syllabus.

MEd: Professional Practice in Dyslexia and Literacy Routes One and Two

To gain the full MEd Professional Practice in Dyslexia and Literacy, you must complete 180 credits at Level 7 (Master’s Level). There are two routes available.

Click here for further information.

Have you gained a Level 5 or Level 7 SpLD Teaching Qualification within the last 5 years and want to study to become a full assessor who is also eligible to apply for an Assessment Practising Certificate (SASC)?

Click here for further information.

This programme was developed and is delivered and assessed by Dyslexia Action, awarded by and quality assured by Middlesex University. The Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma programmes are also recognised by several professional SpLD membership bodies for accredited specialist teacher/practitioner/assessor status.

Candidates will automatically become student members of The Dyslexia Guild for the first year of their course while they are actively studying on a Level 7 Postgraduate Certificate: Specialist Teaching or Postgraduate Diploma: Specialist Assessment and Teaching Programme with Dyslexia Action. The Guild is a membership network and professional association for practitioners in Dyslexia and SpLD, which aims to promote discussion, information and best practice as well as keep members informed of developments in the field through publication and distribution of topical news, updates and maintenance of an up-to-date library. 

The Guild provides its members with a wealth of information relating to dyslexia and SpLDs through its online library (the National Resource Centre for Dyslexia), a single-easy to access online platform that produces focused search results accessible by members 24/7. The library is supported by a Chartered Librarian and provides a unique, e-resource collection, covering the fields of dyslexia and other co-occurring difficulties. Participants have access to an online collection of over 800 specialist e-books, hard copy books and resources as well as simultaneous access to an online EBSCO database of over 1,600 full-text education and psychology journals.

Postgraduate Certificate Specialist Teaching for Literacy-Related Difficulties 

• 7 October 2025
• 7 April 2026

Cost: £4,050 + VAT (apply for programme, once accepted pay in two six month instalments)

Postgraduate Diploma Specialist Assessment and Teaching for Literacy-Related Difficulties

• 7 October 2025
• 7 April 2026

Cost: £8,100 + VAT (apply for programme, once accepted pay in four six month instalments)
Please note: professional practice assessment test costs may also apply.

MEd in Professional Practice in Dyslexia and Literacy Option one

• 7 October 2025
• 7 April 2026

MEd in Professional Practice in Dyslexia and Literacy Option two

• 7 October 2025
• 7 April 2026

For further information please visit our payment FAQ page

Interested in applying? Please ensure you have read the syllabus document above and complete an application through the ‘How to Apply’ section.

If you have any further queries please contact trainingcourses@dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Participants currently studying with us on the Level 7 Postgraduate programme should direct enquiries to pgmail@dyslexiaaction.org.uk