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

The Dyslexia Action Postgraduate Certificate in literacy-related difficulties is appropriate for a wide range of teachers, practitioners and specialists who have a relevant classroom or student learning support experience including:

• 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

QUALIFICATIONS

Prospective students will have:

• Recent and relevant experience (at least two years) in a school or college in a teaching/teaching support role
• An honours degree or equivalent
• GCSE Maths grade C/4 or higher (or equivalent)
• Candidates with English as an additional language will need a high level of competence in the use of English, equivalent to a GCSE result of C/4 or an IELTS result of at least 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in all components)
• See Regulations for Postgraduate (masters) programmes: realgroup.co.uk/postgraduate-programme-regulations/

Private tutors:
Private tutoring will partly count as recent and relevant experience and if you hold QTS/PGCE this will strengthen your application. You will need:

• Recent experience of working in a school/college is essential: If you are not currently school/college-based you will need to demonstrate that you are willing and able to work within an educational setting as part of your professional role. You will need to list a role within a school/college setting on your application i.e., you must find such a role before applying. This role can be voluntary; it does not have to be a teaching or paid role and can be, for example, listening to readers for at least 3 hours a week in a school setting. Please note: a role within a home-setting is not appropriate for safe-guarding reasons.

If you do not have any recent or substantial experience of working in school/college, you will need to show that you have found a placement for the teaching practice DAPP21-02 BEFORE you apply

Applicants who do not fulfil all the requirements above may be considered for ‘special entry’ if they can demonstrate other relevant academic and professional experience. Such applicants are advised to apply in the first instance and fully explain their experience in their application statement.

Please note: We reserve the right to reject any application that does not meet the criteria specified.

• 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)

View our dyslexia postgraduate programme syllabus for more information.

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

In order to achieve this qualification, you have the choice of two different training pathways:

Option one:

• 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)
• DAPP:DPRW Dyslexia: Professional Report Writing (30 credits)

Option two:

• DAPP21-01 Literacy Acquisition – Underpinning Theory (30 credits)
• DAPP21-02 Specialist Literacy Teaching – Linking Theory to Practice (30 credits)
• M02 CCET Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing (30 credits)
• M06 DPRW Dyslexia: Professional Report Writing (30 credits)

View our dyslexia postgraduate programme syllabus for more information.

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.

View our dyslexia postgraduate programme syllabus for more information.

Practitioners who hold a Level 5 SpLD Teaching Qualification may be eligible to progress directly to the assessment modules. This route leads to eligibility for an Assessment Practising Certificate (APC) through The Dyslexia Guild. Practitioners who hold a Level 7 SpLD Teaching Qualification and wish to add assessment competence should contact Dyslexia Action to discuss the appropriate entry point.

View option 2 on our dedicated page about how to become a dyslexia assessor.

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 

• 6 April 2027
  and
• 5 October 2027

  Cost*: Apply for the programme, once accepted Module fees (payable in four instalments) are as follows:
  DAPP21-01: £2,265 +VAT
  DAPP21-02: £2,395 +VAT

There are no additional costs for International delegates.

For further information please visit our payment FAQ page

*Individual module prices may be subject to an annual increase on 1 October

Postgraduate Diploma Specialist Assessment and Teaching for Literacy-Related Difficulties

• 6 April 2027
  and
• 5 October 2027

• Cost* Apply for the programme, once accepted Module fees (payable in four instalments) are as follows:
  DAPP21-01: £2,265 +VAT
  DAPP21-02: £2,395 +VAT
  DAPP21-03: £2,395 +VAT
  DAPP-D:PRW: £2,835 +VAT

Please note: professional practice assessment test costs may also apply.

There are no additional costs for International delegates.

For further information please visit our payment FAQ page

*Individual module prices may be subject to an annual increase on 1 October

MEd in Professional Practice in Dyslexia and Literacy Option one

• 6 April 2027
  and
• 5 October 2027

MEd in Professional Practice in Dyslexia and Literacy Option two

• 6 April 2027
  and
• 5 October 2027

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  

AMBDA is a professional membership level held with the British Dyslexia Association – it is not equivalent to an APC (assessment practising certificate). Its closest equivalent is recognition by The Dyslexia Guild with MDG status.

Completing Dyslexia Action’s postgraduate diploma or MEd means you are eligible to apply for either MDG or AMBDA status. In either situation, it is strongly recommended that you also hold an APC. Since 2019, diagnostic reports written by APC holders can be used for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) indefinitely, meaning that a dyslexia diagnosis stays valid throughout a person’s lifetime.

The following organisations are SpLD membership bodies and approved awarding organisations of APCs;

• The Dyslexia Guild
• Patoss
• British Dyslexia Association (BDA)

How do MDG and AMBDA compare?

Both AMBDA and MDG status have comparable membership fees and offer benefits such as;

• Access to a professional networking community
• Annual conferences with discounted access for members
• Discounted CPD and have comparable membership fees
• Listing in the Member’s Directory where prospective clients can find your services

However, there are several unique benefits of choosing to gain your professional membership through The Dyslexia Guild including,

• Up to 10% discount on most assessment tests and other products in the Dyslexia Action Shop
• Access to the National Dyslexia Resource Centre – a library of books, teaching resources and assessment tests that can be taken out on loan for up to three weeks (please note this is not available for students currently studying on courses and assessment tests must also be send back via an insured courier)
• Webinars providing CPD hours that are free to Guild members 
• Free printed copy of the bi-annual professional journal, The Dyslexia Review
• Access to a free Supporting Adults Toolkit that can be adapted for younger learners