Over the past decade, the phonics policy in England has reshaped how reading is taught in primary schools. Systematic synthetic phonics is now the central approach used in early literacy instruction, and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check has become a familiar feature of the education landscape. At the same time, discussion about phonics policy … Continue reading A New Resource: Understanding the Phonics Policy in England
writing
Now Listed in the National Autistic Society Autism Services Directory
I’m very pleased to share that I am now listed in the National Autistic Society Autism Services Directory as a specialist literacy tutor for autistic and neurodivergent learners. You can view my full profile in the National Autistic Society Autism Services Directory. The National Autistic Society directory is a trusted national resource used by families, … Continue reading Now Listed in the National Autistic Society Autism Services Directory
Teaching GCSE Descriptive Writing for Autistic and Neurodivergent Students: Why Structure Matters
Descriptive writing at GCSE English Language is often framed as a creative task. Students are encouraged to “paint a picture with words”, “engage the reader”, and “use imaginative language”. Yet for many learners, the difficulty is not a lack of imagination – it is knowing how to organise their ideas, where to begin, and how … Continue reading Teaching GCSE Descriptive Writing for Autistic and Neurodivergent Students: Why Structure Matters
A Functional Skills Workbook in Two Formats: Why Choice Matters for Learners
I’m pleased to share that my workbook, Kate Coldrick’s Guide to Functional Skills Level 1 Writing, is now available on Amazon in two formats: as a Kindle eBook and as a paperback. Although the content of the book is the same in both versions, offering it in different formats is a deliberate and pedagogical choice. … Continue reading A Functional Skills Workbook in Two Formats: Why Choice Matters for Learners
Revoicing a Story: A Creative Writing Activity for Literacy Learning
Literacy tutor Kate Coldrick shares a KS3/GCSE creative writing activity based on her poems Red Riding Hood Speaks and Morgan Speaks (OnTheSkyline.com). Explore how paired-line revoicing poems reveal bias, perspective, and voice – and why this structure especially supports autistic learners. Full resource available in her TES shop. When I write for OnTheSkyline.com, I often … Continue reading Revoicing a Story: A Creative Writing Activity for Literacy Learning
From Sound to Story: How Children Really Learn to Read – and Why So Many Phonics Programmes Misfire
Children learn to read by linking the sounds they already know to the symbols on a page. Yet most phonics programmes start from the wrong end – from print instead of speech – forcing children to memorise the alphabetic code backwards. Here’s what really happens inside the reading brain, and how to teach in a … Continue reading From Sound to Story: How Children Really Learn to Read – and Why So Many Phonics Programmes Misfire
Making AQA GCSE English Language Question 3 Accessible for Autistic Learners
Kate Coldrick explains how autistic learners can approach AQA GCSE English Language Question 3 on structure with an inclusive, accessible strategy. From summer 2026, AQA are revising Paper 1, Question 3. Instead of the familiar open-ended “How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader?”, the question will now specify a … Continue reading Making AQA GCSE English Language Question 3 Accessible for Autistic Learners
New Resource: Functional Skills English Level 1 Writing Workbook
Over the past few months, I’ve been working on a project that brings together much of what I’ve learned through tutoring and resource writing: the Functional Skills English Level 1 Writing Workbook (127 pages, 25 units). As with my other materials, my aim has been to create something practical, structured, and genuinely supportive for learners … Continue reading New Resource: Functional Skills English Level 1 Writing Workbook
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