This course is for anyone who is interested in the selection, use and interpretation of standardised tests, and the principles of educational testing, from those who are new to the subject through to those who hold a qualification in assessment. Communicate-ed is an Authorised Assessment CPD provider for the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC). This is a SASC approved course giving 5 core hours for renewal of SpLD Assessment Practising Certificates.

The course covers key aspects for consideration when choosing standardised tests and the correct administration and interpretation of these tests, including:

• Reliability and validity
• Currency
• Age appropriate testing
• Interpretation of statistical data
• Standardisation
• Using Standardised Tests for Access Arrangements

During the course there is the opportunity to consider in depth the following tests: WRIT, DASH-2, WRAT 5, ART 2, CTOPP 2, DRA 3 and KTEA 3.

Sessions covering the following tests are also available online: BPVS 3, Dyslexia Portfolio, GORT 5, SPaRCS, TOMAL 2, TOWRE 2, WIAT-III UK, Woodcock Johnson IV UK and IRE edition and YARC.

The course tutors are Lia Castiglione, Caroline Read and Ally Howes.

Lia Castiglione

Lia has been teaching and supporting learners of all ages for over 30 years and in varying educational settings. She is a specialist teacher assessor who is highly experienced in all aspects of access arrangements, has held a current Assessment Practising Certificate since 2008 and regularly assesses in schools and colleges. An accomplished educational trainer, Lia is the co-creator of a postgraduate access arrangements assessor course and is the author of the Patoss/JCQ book, ‘Assessing the Need for Access Arrangements’. She works as an independent educational consultant through her company ‘Castiglione Consulting Ltd’.

Caroline Read

Caroline is a Specialist Teacher who has practical experience in all areas of the Access Arrangements process and trains for LAs, Universities and SEN Services. Caroline contributed to the PATOSS/JCQ publication ‘Dyslexia: Assessing the need for Access Arrangements’, has been published in academic journals and has worked with various publishers to develop tests. She was part of the working party which set up ‘Access Arrangements Online’ and has been involved with other DfE and Ofqual training and policy projects.

Ally Howes

Ally is a Specialist Teacher who has assessed pupils across various age ranges and settings, as well as working as a SENCo in a large mixed comprehensive school. Ally has led on both literacy and numeracy interventions working with pupils with a range of special educational needs. She has been part of a team of experts working with NFER to develop the National Reference Tests.

This course is available online for you to access at a time and place of your choice. Delegates will have 20 consecutive days to login and watch all of the course content.

For over two decades we have been running courses across the country, aiming to provide high quality, value for money training for education professionals working in the area of special needs. We know from speaking to many of our delegates, that it is increasingly difficult for busy professionals to take the opportunity to attend courses off-site. In response to this, we also offer a broad range of online training courses, focusing on Examination Access Arrangements, Assessment, and Supporting Students with SEND.

The advantages of online courses are clear:

• They can be accessed at the delegate’s convenience, in the workplace or home
• Delegates don’t need to travel, saving time and transport costs
• Running costs are lower, allowing us to pass savings on to our delegatesWe offer both individual courses and group courses (moved).

We offer both individual courses and group courses.

Our online courses are designed to be administered in one of two ways depending on whether one member of staff or a group are accessing the course. Courses can be viewed at any time, and in any venue where there is a good internet reception.

Group courses can be viewed in either of the following ways:

1. A group of staff accessing the course together at the same time. For this we recommend that you use a digital projector and large screen with speakers to amplify the presentation. This has advantage of group interaction and monitoring of involvement. OR
2. Each member of staff has an individual login and accesses the training on their own device. This has the advantage of flexibility, as the course can be accessed at a time/place to suit the individual (in school/college or at home).

Each login will give access to the chosen course for 10 consecutive days (Language Modification is 20 days and exam helper cousres are for the rest of the academic year) and the course (or parts of the course) can be accessed as many times as required within this period.

If a group of delegates are accessing a course together, all delegates must be from your centre; you may not use the course to train staff from other centres.

N.B. Delegates will need a good internet connection to access our online courses.

If you are already registered for an online course with us, please click here to log into your course.

​This course is not assessed. You can opt to do a multiple choice assessment to assess your knowledge after the course for an additional £10.

Communicate-ed is an Authorised Assessment CPD provider for the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC). This is a SASC approved course giving 5 core hours for renewal of SpLD Assessment Practising Certificates. SASC limit all approved CPD courses to 5 core hours; additional hours can be counted towards general CPD.