Secondary reading: what do we know and what can we do?
This session will cover evidence on secondary reading, the CPD and practical strategies for the English classroom
Lucy Floyer and Professor Jessie Ricketts worked together with a large team of secondary practitioners to develop Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for all secondary staff on supporting reading in all pupils. This CPD was launched by the Department for Education in April 2025 and is freely available. In this session, Jessie will present evidence on secondary reading, Jessie and Lucy will talk about the CPD and Lucy will cover practical strategies for the English classroom.
Professor Jessie Ricketts is based in the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London and directs the Language and Reading Acquisition (LARA) research group. Jessie researches language and literacy in children, young people and adults. She is particularly interested in how reading benefits children’s learning and language. Jessie works closely with teachers, educational charities and policy makers to conduct research and consider its implications for education.
Lucy Floyer has over 25 years of experience as a teacher, including 18 years of leadership and advisory work in schools. She has led at school and trust leadership level across primary, secondary and special education, and in both inner city and suburban schools. Within her literacy leadership roles, Lucy has led whole school and trust INSET including delivering keynotes and conferences; supported middle leaders in integrating subject-specific literacy development into their curriculum design; and trained subject teachers in implementing literacy strategies in the classroom. She has led and supported senior leaders and literacy leads on the design and implementation of whole school literacy development plans across a range of organisations. She is an expert in teenage reading support and has worked on reading projects for GL Assessment and the DfE.
Date: Monday 11th May 2026
Time: 4.00 pm to 5.30pm
Location: online
Writing for All: Multimodal Pathways into Inclusive Writing Curriculum with Dr Sarah Moseley.
This session introduces the inclusive, practical approaches from Writing for All, a new book co-authored with Claire Harrison from Call Scotland. Alongside contributions from leading experts including Dr Helen Ross, Louise Selby, Hywel Roberts, Mark Anderson and many more. Together, you challenge traditional assumptions about what writing should look like and open a richer, more ambitious understanding of writing for every learner, including those who are reluctant or have complex needs.
We’ll explore:
· Multimodal pathways into writing — sensory mark-making, AAC, digital tools, imagery and storytelling
· Removing barriers from the outset through Universal Design for Learning
· How the Writing Framework ensures clarity and progression for all learners — stage-not-age
· Adapting the Writing Rope to support a wide range of communication profiles
· How assistive technology and AI can unlock independence, creativity, and meaningful authorship
· Playful, strengths-based strategies that build motivation, identity and self-belief as writers
Delegates will gain inspiration and practical ideas to develop a writing curriculum that truly works for everyone, empowering learners to find, use and celebrate their voice.
Dr. Sarah Moseley is a Specialist in Literacy, Inclusion & Neurodiversity, providing face-to-face and online training, coaching, consultancy, and keynote presentations for professionals and families across all sectors. With over 30 years’ experience in both special and mainstream education, from teaching assistant to Headteacher, she specialises in removing barriers to learning and improving outcomes for all children and young people.
Her work bridges research and practice, creating inclusive cultures where high expectations and accessibility go hand in hand. She holds a Master’s and PhD in Special Education, with a focus on reading and self-esteem, and I’m the author ofTeaching Reading to All Learners Including Those with Complex Needs. Her next book, Writing for All, will explore inclusive and adaptive approaches to teaching writing.
Date: Thursday 12th March
Time: 4pm to 5.30pm
Location: online
Cost: Members plus one guest free. Non-members £5
Please book through Eventbrite here
NAAE roundtable: The future for English – reviewing outcomes from the CAR final report and DfE response.
Following publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report and the DfE’s response (November 2025), we’d like to invite NAAE members to join us for an informal professional dialogue of the recommendations and next steps.
We are delighted to welcome Dr Becky Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of the English Association, who will open the event with a concise overview, setting the stage for discussions. We’ll then move into smaller groups to discuss and network with colleagues, supported by members of the NAAE Committee.
This is an exclusive event for NAAE members and their registered guests to join us for an informal professional dialogue.
Dr Becky Fisher is the Chief Executive Officer of the English Association. Her interests include early English language and literature, playfulness in education, and bringing academics, independent scholars, and the public together. Alongside her role at the EA, Becky also sits on the Board of Directors for the Council for Subject Associations, an umbrella organisation that represents subject associations nationally and allows them to speak with a single voice on key issues and consultations. As a Director of the CfSA, Becky is building links between subjects for mutual advocacy, and strengthens the EA’s connections with policy makers and other key stakeholders in the education landscape.
Date: Monday 2nd February
Time: 4.00 pm to 5.30pm
Location: online
Cost: Free. Members and registered guests only.
Please book through Eventbrite here
The National Year of Reading 2026 – a special event for strategic leaders of English with Martin Galway (Head of Professional Learning and Partnerships, National Literacy Trust)
Martin will give us an overview of the scope and ambition of the NYR, signposting the experiences and resources available to schools, settings and the wider community and highlighting how advisers, consultants and strategic English leads can support the campaign.
Martin Galway is the Head of Professional Learning and Partnerships at the National Literacy Trust. He is a Fellow of the English Association and previously worked as a teaching and learning advisor for the Herts for Learning Primary English Team. Martin is a former primary school teacher. His interests include early reading development and reading fluency instruction, grammar, literacy difficulties, and oracy. Martin is a regular speaker at national and international conferences on all aspects of English and literacy.
Date: Saturday 24th January
Time: 10.30am to 12pm
Location: online
Cost: Members plus one guest free.
Please book through Eventbrite here
NAAE’s ‘Spotlight on practice….’
Addressing potential unintended consequences of the writing framework: Promoting the reading-writing connection using mentor texts as part of a book-based curriculum.
Our ‘spotlight on practice’ events are intentionally designed for a wider audience, particularly school-based staff, such as teachers, English subject leaders and school leaders. This session is most suitable for colleagues working with children in Years 3-8.
We are delighted to be working with HfL Education’s and friend of NAAE, Ellen Counter again.
In this session, Ellen will discuss how to make meaningful connections between reading and writing in the primary-KS3 classroom by developing pupils’ ability to read as writers. The approach goes beyond comprehension, encouraging children to notice and apply writers’ craft techniques in their own writing. As it states within the writing framework, “to develop their understanding of the structures of different types of text, pupils need to study model texts which ‘provide opportunities to read, analyse, and emulate models of good writing’” (p. 104). This session will explore how to select mentor texts, build habits of noticing craft moves (e.g., language choices, sentence structure, punctuation) and confidently teach pupils to apply these techniques in writing.
Ellen Counter is Deputy Lead Adviser for Primary English at HfL Education (formerly Herts for Learning) and has an MA in Children’s Literature. She has taught in three different London boroughs since 2007 and now enjoys working with colleagues in Hertfordshire schools and beyond.
Date: Thursday 8th January 2026
Time: 4pm to 5.30pm
Location: online
Cost: Free to all registered ticket holders
Please book through Eventbrite here
The Balancing Act: Teaching phonics and spelling in the context of reading and writing
In this session, we will look at the interrelationship between language, reading and writing, with reference to a new model for teaching: The Double Helix of Reading and Writing, developed by Charlotte and Professor Dominic Wyse in their award-winning paper Decoding, reading and writing: the double helix theory of teachingand book The Balancing Act: An Evidence-Based Approach to Teaching Phonics, Reading and Writing.
Examples and activities will explore the foundations for success in a programme of phonics teaching and how to teach phonics and spelling in the context of high-quality books for children, encouraging children to notice sound and spelling patterns in their reading and to use and apply these in their writing, as well as encouraging children’s motivation to read and write for purpose and pleasure.
Charlotte Hacking is the Teacher Engagement Lead at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy at University College London. She also teaches Year 2 and leads on Curriculum and Research at a 3-7 setting in South London. She has taught in a range of schools and settings, having been an Assistant Headteacher, Literacy Leader and Local Authority Early Years and English Advisor, and was previously the Learning and Programme Director at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE).
Date: Saturday 6th December
Time: 10.30am to 12pm
Location: online
Cost: Members plus one guest free. Non-members £5
Please book through Eventbrite here
Securing the Physical Skills for Handwriting with Jessica Squires
Jessica will address the critical importance of physical literacy in early childhood and introduce afPE’s Early Years Screening Programme.
NAAE are pleased to welcome Jessica Squires, Physical Education Consultant for Lancashire County Council, Lancashire Professional Development Service (LPDS), and Regional Lead Advocate for the Association for Physical Education (afPE).
Jessica will address the critical importance of physical literacy in early childhood and introduce afPE’s Early Years Screening Programme. This initiative responds to growing concerns that some children begin school with underdeveloped motor competencies—often due to limited physical activity, prolonged screen exposure, or extended time spent in prams and car seats. While schools routinely assess phonics and numeracy, the ability to move effectively is equally fundamental to a child’s overall development.
The session will also highlight the role schools play in supporting physical development, particularly in improving motor competency and suppressing primitive reflexes. These efforts are essential for enhancing coordination, balance, proprioception, and agility—ultimately enabling children to engage more confidently across all areas of learning.