Venue: Farnham, Surrey

Validated by CPD Standards Office and approved by SASC

The Helen Arkell Charity is a long-standing, fully accredited, externally validated provider of professional training courses, and has successfully delivered courses in both Teaching and Assessing Learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) for many years.

The Helen Arkell Level 7 Diploma provides an all-in-one route to achieving an Assessment Practicing Certificate on successful completion of the course.

How is this course rated?

From our latest External Quality Assurance (2024/25) review, we were rated ‘high’ in all areas: Leadership, internal quality assurance, candidate experience, inclusion and reasonable adjustments, tutoring, and standard of candidate work.

“All areas observed were judged to be of high quality. HADC runs an excellent course that extends the skills of teachers of learners with dyslexia/spld to diagnostic assessment of SpLD. The course is rigorous and candidates benefit from HADC’s considerable expertise in assessing. Candidate feedback indicates that they appreciate how much they have learned and that they are glad they undertook the course. Tutoring is dedicated and supportive. Again, the course deserves to be deemed ‘the gold standard’.”

 

Why study for Level 7 with Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity?

• Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity is the oldest dyslexia centre in the UK and has a long history of providing quality training. Helen Arkell herself was involved in the development and delivery of the first professionally recognised courses in the country.
• We are unique in providing a very high proportion of tutor-to-candidate contact time to ensure that all candidates achieve to the very best of their ability. The tutor group system encourages candidates to share their wealth of knowledge and experiences during the weekly contact with each other.
• Helen Arkell Charity offers a unique approach to the organisation of the teaching practices and assessment sessions on the Level 7 Course. Candidates are allocated learners in state schools that are local to our Farnham Centre and they are supervised closely by tutors. Past candidates’ evaluations of our courses have deemed this ‘hands-on’ approach to have been particularly helpful as they carry out their teaching practices and assessments.

Find out more about our Course Tutors here.

Who is this course suitable for?

Candidates will have achieved Helen Arkell Level 5 or equivalent (from other course providers).

For education professionals without a Level 5 qualification, who are already working as a specialist teacher, they may be able to apply for Level 7 without having completed Level 5. However, additional hours of specialist teaching will be required while undertaking the Level 7 course with us. These hours would need to be completed within your own school or workplace. For the vast majority of candidates, completion of a Level 5 specialist teaching qualification is needed first and then followed by the Level 7 course.

The Level 7 Diploma requires candidates to complete a total of three Teaching Practices, at least one of which will be carried out during the current academic year as part of the Level 7 Diploma. It is expected that most candidates will already have completed two of the Teaching Practices, of 20 hours in total, on the Helen Arkell Level 5 Diploma (or equivalent from other course providers) within the last three years. If it has been more than three years, please get in touch with us to explore options.

Candidates will need to have a high level of skill and be working at or above the equivalent of Level 5 in the following key skill areas: literacy, including the application of knowledge in writing, numeracy and IT. Candidates will be confident working with others, learning independently, improving their own learning and problem solving.

What will I learn on this course?

The Helen Arkell Level 7 course focuses on specialist assessment and teaching and encompasses a wide range of learning outcomes. It includes lectures, tutorials, workshops and discussions. Candidates will complete written assignments, undertake directed study and carry out assessments and teaching under the guidance of a tutor.

The course consists of four key modules:

• Theoretical Concepts Underlying Dyslexia/SpLDs This includes an Extended Essay and Presentation.
• Psychometrics and Educational Assessment This includes a Comprehensive Review and Resource File of Assessment Materials.
• Assessing Learners for Dyslexia/SpLDs This includes three Full Diagnostic Assessments and incorporates an Access Arrangement Assessment.
• Relating Theoretical Perspectives to Practice This includes a Teaching Practice at Secondary Level

The three Diagnostic Assessments and the Teaching Practice are arranged by the Centre’s staff in a local secondary school and usually carried on the designated course day. Candidates will be observed during assessment and teaching practice sessions.

Written work and assignments are marked, and detailed feedback is provided by an experienced tutor in order to support each candidate in meeting the required course criteria.

All modules are internally assessed and verified, then externally verified by the CPD Standards Office. There is no requirement to sit written exams on this course.

On our Level 7 course we are teaching the updated Delphi Definition of Dyslexia and teaching SASC’s June 2025 updated Report Format for Diagnostic Assessment of SpLDs.

How long does this course last?

The course lasts one academic year.

Attendance at an HADC Centre, a teaching practice school or online is required for one full day a week during term time.

At the start of the course, a timetable is given to each candidate that details lecture dates and when assignments are due to be submitted.

What opportunities are there to progress after successful completion of this course?

The Level 7 Diploma leads to many rewarding careers and opportunities. It enables candidates to:

• Obtain an Assessment Practising Certificate (APC).
• Carry out assessments for Access Arrangements in line with Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) Guidance.
• Plan and deliver assessments for Specific Learning Differences and write Diagnostic Assessment Reports using up-to-date SASC Guidance.
• Work as a Specialist Teacher at secondary level.
• Develop programmes of learning.
• Implement, evaluate and supervise Individual Education Plans across the age range.
• Liaise with LEAs, school staff, parents, and other professionals to support the needs of learners.
• Take an advisory role with regard to formulating and implementing school/college policies for both inclusion and effective teaching of learners with specific learning difficulties.
• Work as a freelance specialist tutor and assessor

See an example of SEN Job Vacancies advertised through Helen Arkell on behalf of schools and other organisations.

Course fees

The course fees are £5743.00

What does the fee include?

• Membership for the duration of the course to an online academic library
• Access to our physical library at the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre.
• Arrangement by Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity of a teaching placement with access to learners and access to learners for assessments.
• Students are provided with access to all test materials required and all record forms. There is no need to purchase expensive diagnostic tests or record forms on our course.

This course includes over 102 hours allocated to lectures of which over 16 hours are allocated to the development of knowledge and skills in psychometric and educational testing, between 6-8 hours of supervised teaching practice and three diagnostic assessment sessions with tutors present to give on-the-day feedback and support, and a minimum of 28 hours of group tutorial time.

There are no additional costs to this course.

Our Level 7 candidates are entitled to membership of the National Union of Students.

Please register your interest by emailing julieh@helenarkell.org.uk

Feedback

‘‘I have learnt more than I could have imagined possible in such a short space of time.’

‘I experienced a well organised, people valued and friendly experience with excellent service.’

‘Excellent. Over and beyond the call of duty. Highly personalised, nurturing, knowledgeable.’

‘An outstanding tutor; so incredibly supportive and made the whole course such a positive experience.’

‘My tutors were amazing. They worked so hard and the feedback I received boosted my confidence and helped me to develop professionally.’

Course cancellation policy

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To contact the Courses Manager, please email: julieh@helenarkell.org.uk