Basic Skills Agency (BSA)

www.becta.org.uk
British Educational Commuications and Technology Agency (BECTA) is a registered charity funded by the Department of Education to develop and promote the use of information technology in every area of education and training. 
Contact: BECTA, Milburn Hill Road, Science Park, Coventry CV4 7JJ. Tel: 024 7641 6994.  

www.bl.uk
British Library - runs an education programme for schools with many of its schemes focussing on children's books and reading. Schools may also receive free copies of its newsletter, Sources. 
Contact: British Library, Education Service, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB. Tel: 020 7412 7797. Email: education@bl.uk.

www.clpe.co.uk
The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) is a professional development centre specialising in all aspects of primary English. As well as being a resource and consultancy centre for teachers it produces a wide range of publications. 
Contact: CLPE, Webber Street, London SE1 8QW. Tel: 020 7633 0840.

www.le.ac.uk/engassoc
The English Association is an organisation that works to further knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the English language and its literatures and to foster good practice in its teaching and learning at all levels. It does this by working towards a fuller recognition of English as an essential element in education and in the community at large by encouraging the study of English language and literature; by means of conferences, lectures and publications; by fostering the discussion of methods of teaching English of all kinds; and by responding to national issues. 
Contact: The English Association, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH. Tel: 0116 252 3982. Email: engassoc@le.ac.uk.

www.esbuk.org
The English Speaking Board is a membership organisation that works to promote and improve communication in spoken English, both in the UK and throughout the world. It operates in primary and secondary schools, further and higher education, the public and private sectors, and business and industry. Twice a year it publishes a journal, Speaking English.
Contact: English Speaking Board, 26a Princes Street, Southport, PR8 1EQ. Tel: 01704 501730.

www.everychildareader.org
Every Child A Reader is a unique collaboration between charitable trusts, the business sector and government. It aims to show that, with the right resources, it is possible to overcome the literacy difficulties that blight so many children's lives. The initiative is funding highly-skilled Reading Recovery teachers in inner-city schools, to provide intensive help to children most in need. The immediate aim is to reach 5,000 children, particularly those living in areas of high social deprivation. Longer term, the initiative aims to secure sustainable investment in early literacy intervention, and to explore how intensive support in reading can be provided most cost effectively in a national context.

www.steps-pd.co.uk
First Steps/Stepping Out is a Western Australian programme which provides a framework for developing children's literacy and which offers a diagnostic tool and materials, including software, to help record and report on children's literacy development. Many teachers in the UK have trained as First Steps tutors. This has been built upon to develop Stepping Out, a professional development resource following many of the same learning principles. In the UK, the programme has been tailored to enhance the implementation of the Key Stage 3 Literacy Strategy.  It consists of training courses and publish standards in middle and secondary schools.
Contact:  Steps PDC, Unit 78, Shrivenham Hundred Business Park, Major's Road, Watchfield SN6 8TZ. Tel: 01793 787930. Email: admin@steps-pd.co.uk.

www.hamilton-trust.org.uk.
Hamilton Trust is an educational charity that works in partnership with schools in the Blackbird Leys, Rose Hill Barton and Littlemore areas of Oxford to support primary teachers in raising pupil achievement in English and maths. Classroom planning materials developed as part of this work are available to all teachers on the Hamilton Trust website.
Contact: Hamilton Trust, 1A Howard St, Oxford OX4 3AY. Tel: 01865 253980. Email: catherine@hamilton-trust.org.uk.

Inaura
Charity that supports children permanently excluded from school and their families. More

Information for School and College Governors (ISCG)
Provides a free advice line with open access to all governors, and publishes checklists and reports on governor issues. Its representative Soundings Panel acts as a research panel on governor issues. 
Contact: ISCG, Avondale Park School, Sidar Road, London W11 4EE. Tel: 020 7229 0200.

www.kidscape.org.uk
Kidscape provides information and teaching materials for parents and other concerned adults to help them teach children practical and positive ways of dealing with potentially dangerous situations, including the possibility of sexual abuse. 
Contact: Kidscape, 82 Brook Street, London W1Y 1YG. Tel: 020 7493 9845.

Literacy Initiative From Teachers (LIFT)
LIFT, developed in London Borough of Westminster, is a key stage 1 classroom programme based on the type of classroom practice which works well alongside Reading Recovery. LIFT involves an Inset programme, demonstration classrooms and long term advice and support. The LIFT programme has been adapted for the National Literacy Project. 

www.lsbu.ac.uk/LLUplus/
The Language and Literacy Unit+ (LLU+), based at London South Bank University, is a consultancy and professional development centre for staff working in the areas of literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of other languages, with both adults and children. It includes specialists in Caribbean languages and literature, family literacy, dyslexia and learning support, language and maths. Within these fields the unit offers consultancy and advice, project development, resources and trainer training. 
Contact: LLU+, South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA. Tel: 020 7815 6290.

National Association of Governors & Managers (NAGM)
Contact: NAGM, Suite 36/38 Bennets Hill, Birmingham B2 5QP.  Tel: 0121 643 5787.

www.nate.org.uk
National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE) is the UK subject teacher association for the teaching of all aspects of English from pre-school to university. From January 1999, it has had a regional organisation with coordinators elected by members within that region. 
Contact: NATE, 50 Broadfield Road, Broadfield Business Centre, Sheffield, S8 OXJ.  Tel: 0114 255 5419.

www.ncll.org.uk
The National Centre for Language and Literacy supports teachers, parents and governors in a wide range of ways - through a unique collection of resources; publications; an extensive programme of courses and conferences; ongoing research; and a membership scheme designed to meet the needs of individual schools. 
Contact: National Centre for Language and Literacy, University of Reading, Bulmershe Court, Earley, Reading RG6 1HY. Tel: 0118 931 8820.

www.ncsl.org.uk. 
National College for School Leadership (NCSL), offers programmes, seminars and other professional development opportunities to promote and develop leadership skills in schools. These are available to heads, deputy heads, department heads, year heads and others with leadership responsibilities in schools. 
Contact: National College for School Leadership, Triumph Road, Nottingham NG8 1DH. Tel: 0870 001 1155. Email: ncsl-office@ncsl.org.uk.

National Governors Council 
The NGC is an independent forum for governing body associations in local education authorities, providing advice and support for governors and governing bodies. 
Contact: NGC, Glebe House, Church Street, Crediton, Devon EX17 2AF. Tel: 01363 774377.

www.nla.org.uk
National Literacy Association (NLA) works to narrow the gap between those who achieve at school and those who do not. It works in partnership with a range of organisations to promote awareness of and support children's literacy needs, campaigning particularly for the needs of the 20% of children who continue to under-achieve. As well as practical work in schools, with children in public care, with parent groups and in the wider community, the NLA provides consultancy. training and a range of publications and other resources that are available free of charge to schools, parents groups and others.
Contact: National Literacy Association, First floor, Leonard House, 321 Bradford Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6ET. Tel: 0121 622 5143. Email: email@nla.org.uk.

National Literacy Strategy (NLS)
The National Literacy Strategy was launched by the Government in 1997. It was developed from the National Literacy Project which was set up by the DfEE under the Conservative Government in 1996. The main purpose of the Strategy is to raise standards of literacy in line with national expectations for primary schools by improving the quality of teaching through more focused literacy instruction and effective classroom management. It also aims to improve the schools' management of literacy through target setting linked to systematic planning and monitoring and evaluation. In 2003, the literacy and numeracy strategies were merged to form the Primary National Strategy.
Contact: Primary National Strategy, Capita SES, 1 New Century Place, East Street, Reading RG1 4QH. Tel: 0118 918 2500.

www.primaryheads.org.uk
National Primary Headteachers Association was launched with the purpose of achieving "the best possible education for primary schildren by ensuring that the needs and entitlements of those children are secured". The association is led by serving headteachers. It does not concern itself with legal or pay issues (it does not seek to be a union). It is intended to create links between serving heads to best represent their professional concerns.
Contact: John Gawthorpe, Membership Secretary, NPhA, Mayhill Junior School, The Bury, Odiham, Hook, Hants RG29 1NB.

Reading Recovery 
Reading Recovery is a well established intervention scheme for children with reading difficulties. It has been evaluated in New Zealand, Australia, the USA and England and has been proven, certainly in the short term, to be an effective intervention programme. The programme consists of daily half hour sessions with specially trained Reading Recovery teachers for six-year-olds who are in the bottom 20% of their class in terms of reading. The lesson consists of reading two or more books (some familiar and one new one), letter identification and/or word-making and breaking, as well as writing a story. Many LEAs continued to fund reading recovery in their authorities once the GEST funding had finished. 

www.rrf.org.uk
Reading Reform Foundation is a non-profit making organisation that aims to "help end today's needless illiteracy through the dissemination of the latest information about research-verified teaching of reading." Intensive, systematic synthetic phonics teaching is promoted through newsletters and occasional conferences. New information, articles and queries are always welcome. 
Contact: Reading Reform Foundation, Walnut House, Floreat Gardens, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 6AW. Tel: 01635 524911. Email: ukrrf@aol.com.

www.sla.org.uk
The School Library Association is an organisation for everyone who is interested in the development of school libraries - primary and secondary.  Benefits for members include a quarterly journal - the School Librarian, training courses, a telephone helpline, newsletters and information bulletins, advice and information, and a network of local branches and support groups. 
Contact: School Library Association, Liden Library, Barrington Close, Liden, Swindon Wiltshire SN3 6HF. Tel: 01793 617838.

www.steinerwaldorf.org.uk
Steiner Waldorf Schools' Fellowship - Austrian philosopher and educator Rudolf Steiner opened the first Waldorf school in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1919. In the UK there are now more than 60 Steiner early years centres, with many more parent and toddler groups; Steiner schools also flourish in more than 50 countries. The key principle of the Steiner approach is not forcing formal learning too early.
Tel: 01342 822115.

www.successforall.org.uk
Success for All is a research-based literacy programme originally founded by Dr Robert Slavin at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA. At the heart of the programme is 90 minutes of uninterrupted, daily literacy from Year 1 to Year 6. Children are grouped across classes and year groups by their reading comprehension level. This gives each teacher the opportunity to work intensively with children grouped at the same reading comprehension level. Now based in the UK in Nottingham, the programme has been adapted to meet the needs of the Primary National Strategy and is working in conjunction with the Leadership Policy and Development Unit at Warwick University. The package of resources includes FastTrack Phonics, which provides lesson plans for daily 20-minute phonics sessions.
More 
Contact: Success for All-UK, 26/27 Jarodale House, 7 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 6LB. Tel: 0115 956 0363. Email: admin@sfa-uk.co.uk.

www.teachit.co.uk
Teach It is an online library of English teaching resources, with three levels of subscription for access to different types of resources. You can choose whether to join as an individual or via your school department.

www.thrass.co.uk
Teaching Handwriting, Reading & Spelling Skills (THRASS) is a phonographic (phoneme-grapheme) language programme based on the 44 speech sounds (phonemes) and the various spelling choices (graphemes) for each of these sounds. At the heart of the programme is the THRASS word chart which offers a structured scheme which gives children the tools for learning. 
Contact: Alan Davies, National Director, THRASS (UK) Ltd, Units 1-3 Tarvin Sands, Barrow Lane, Tarvin, Chester CH2 3QS. Tel: 01829 741413. Email: enquiries@thrass.demon.co.uk.

United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA)