Literacy Solutions

https://www.burnleyexpress.net/your-world/former-burnley-primary-school-to-reopen-as-send-school-8767402?fbclid=IwZnRzaASveN9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeeTTpL0NbC9jJoybDTeNhdlcVLpJFsHFPnbAV7uqCwBko9kfEQGXLjj-Acq0_aem_l8Sj9Olt15sWZ6d3NWkwvw

Former Burnley primary school to reopen as SEND school Former Burnley primary school to reopen as SEND school

The Literacy Solutions story, written by Sara, the founder. The picture is 2 years old, we struggled to find one with us both on 😆

We are now well established and whilst chatting with a new colleague in one of our regular schools I was asked “what made you start this business?”

So teachers get long holidays no one denies that but there is no flexibility on the dates. Our son was (still is but now grown up and independent) into sailing, the competitions were often in Europe during the last week of summer term and because they aren’t booked as package holidays they were ridiculously expensive so we wanted to treat them as a holiday not just a little trip away.

Alongside this ni**le at missing out on competitions, I kept getting approached by schools saying “we’ve heard that you’ve got specialist teacher qualifications, could we have you a day a week?” The qualifications were growing, the SENCo award was becoming a thing, so the feelers went out.

Within a month I’d agreed a day a week with a local school, a day a week equivalent with a uni, a contract over summer teaching supply teachers about various aspects of SEND, secured a 2 day a week supply contract at an FE college for one term, secured a contract with an agency who supports uni students with DSA, started working 2 evenings a week at a tuition centre and with 2 private students. This is going to work!

How nervous I was resigning from the security of my job, people relied on me, was this a mid life crisis? I told myself 1 year and if it wasn’t working I’d get supply work and I’d apply for jobs and accept defeat!

This was 2013, 13 years ago, we now have a great bank of regular schools in our local area. We survived a pandemic by carrying out specialist teaching, training and consultancy online as well as using our garden office to support assessments taking place safely. The role has evolved massively so we support schools as a SEND specialist not just for dyslexia, we help secondary schools with access arrangements as part of our time, we have flexible holidays as we aren’t a term time only service, some services are available beyond schools.

We love what we’ve built and everyone we work with. Here’s to next 13 years! However we are starting to think about winding down the hours!