I’m Kate Coldrick, a UK-based literacy tutor and educational writer with over 25 years’ experience in both mainstream and specialist education. I create inclusive English and literacy resources and specialise in Functional Skills English, GCSE support, and literacy development for autistic and neurodivergent learners. Alongside tutoring, I also run Neurodiversity Learning Support Consultancy, supporting parents who are home educating neurodivergent children.

Kate Coldrick – Literacy Tuition and Inclusive Resources

I graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate of Education in 1998 and began my career in Special Needs Education, teaching children with dyslexia in the SEN department of a secondary school in Southampton. I later specialised in working with autistic students at a residential school run by the Wessex Autistic Society.

Tutoring Since 2015

In 2015, I began offering one-to-one literacy tutoring, working with learners from preschool through to adult education. I have since supported a wide range of students, including:

• Learners with dyslexia, autism, dyspraxia, and auditory processing difficulties
• Other neurodivergent students with diverse learning needs
• Students in mainstream education, those educated other than at school (EOTAS), and those who are electively home educated

My tutoring is highly individualised, helping each learner build skills and confidence in a way that works for them.

Wider Teaching Experience

In 2002, I stepped away from full-time classroom teaching to raise a family (my children were born in 2002, 2005 and 2007). During this time I remained closely involved in education, chairing my local Preschool Committee and helping to implement the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the DfES Letters and Sounds phonics programme.

In 2011, I joined a Montessori Nursery School, where I developed expertise in the Montessori approach to literacy development. These experiences continue to inform both my tutoring and the resources I create today.

Research and Collaboration

In 2024, I was the student lead on a UCL ChangeMakers project exploring neurodiversity and marginalisation in higher education. Working in partnership with staff from the Staff-Student Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (SSEDI) Group at Anna Freud, I helped design and deliver a project on transforming intake interviews for inclusive education. Drawing on both my lived experience as an autistic adult and my teaching practice, we developed practical recommendations for interviewers, including transparent question formats, sensory-friendly environments, and structured support for neurodivergent applicants.

As part of this work, I co-led a staff workshop at Anna Freud, sharing strategies for more inclusive interviewing in practice. I was also instrumental in developing a presentation with colleagues from ChangeMakers and the Arena Centre for the RAISE Conference 2024, where we asked a critical question: Are Interviews Inclusive?

You can explore my research further via my ORCID profile, ResearchGate profile, Google Scholar Profile, and my co-authored article in the RAISE Journal of Student Engagement in Higher Education: Beyond voice: Re-imagining student engagement through a co-created project led by an autistic student.

My Approach

In my one-to-one tuition, I draw on a wide range of structured literacy programmes and evidence-based methods, including Toe by Toe, Sounds-Write, and the Phonics International programme. Every lesson is tailored to the learner’s needs and underpinned by ongoing assessment, ensuring progress across all stages of literacy development — from Primary through Secondary, GCSE, Functional Skills, and Adult learning.

My specialist focus includes:

• Dyslexia support and literacy intervention
• Literacy development for autistic and neurodivergent learners
• Functional Skills English (Entry Levels 1–3, Levels 1 & 2)
• Confidence-building strategies for reluctant readers and writers

Educational Writing

Alongside tutoring, I regularly write research-informed articles on autism, neurodivergence, and inclusive education. Recent pieces include:

• 6 Ways to Support Autistic Girls in Your Classroom – published by Edutopia
• Kate Coldrick on Teaching Autistic Students – Insights from 25 Years’ Experience
• Inclusive Education for Autistic Students: Evidence, Gaps, and Urgent Questions
• Rethinking Behaviour and Belonging: Why “What Works” in 2025 Needs to Mean More

I share further reflections on literacy and learning on my blog, publish additional writing on Medium and Kate Coldrick’s Substack, and also write at On the Skyline, where I explore how women have been represented as disruptive, dangerous, or deviant across time and tradition. Alongside this, I curate Elswyth – a photographic journal tracing light, stillness, and place in Devon and beyond. You can read more about how this work links together here.

Published Books

I write and publish books across education and creative writing. My published work includes:

Kate Coldrick’s Guide to Functional Skills Level 1 Writing
This practical, structured workbook is designed to support learners working towards Functional Skills English Level 1. It draws on my experience as a literacy tutor and SEN specialist, and is used by students, tutors, and educators supporting inclusive pathways into qualifications.

On the Skyline: Women Rewritten
This short work of reflective writing explores how women have been represented as disruptive, dangerous, or deviant across history, myth, and cultural tradition. It forms part of my wider creative and critical writing practice alongside my work on women, voice, and marginalisation.

My books are listed on Amazon and Goodreads, where my author profiles bring together my published work across education and creative writing.

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