Mel Erwin, Director of Training

Mel, Ruth’s deputy, worked closely with Ruth during the development of Read Write Inc. Phonics, and helps her teach new trainers. She taught in Ruth’s school for many years before becoming a trainer. She has been key in developing some of the early reading materials for the programme.

Karen Morris

Karen is a highly experienced trainer and has a deep understanding of the problems and challenges of working with pupils struggling with reading and writing in both secondary and primary schools.

Karen was one of the first and best teachers to use and develop Read Write Inc. in schools in Leicester.

Janey Pursglove

Janey was one of the first teachers to use Read Write Inc. Fresh Start material in secondary schools, and has had amazing results in getting non-readers at secondary level to achieve high reading levels in one year. She also works extensively in primary schools, and has helped to set up Read Write Inc. support networks between secondary schools and their feeder primaries using Read Write Inc.

Janey has recently written stories for the new Fresh Start anthologies, and is currently involved with other writing projects for Read Write Inc. at primary level.

Davina Owen

Davina has been teaching for over 30 years and was awarded Primary Teacher of the Year 2001. Prior to working with Ruth Miskin Literacy, Davina worked as a Primary Literacy Consultant for Leicestershire, having spent several years as an Advanced Skills Teacher specialising in teaching and learning strategies, assessment for learning and literacy. In June 2011 Davina became Head of Training for Ruth Miskin Literacy.

Catherine Cardy

Catherine worked until recently as an assistant Headteacher in Kobi Nazrul School in Tower Hamlets, which was judged to be outstanding in all areas by OFSTED when Ruth was Headteacher. She was initially trained in Ruth's school, and taught with her for many years. She trialled the programme through its development with a range of age groups, and has a high level of expertise in the area of Special Needs, gaining an Outstanding from OFSTED for inclusion, attributed to the success of Read Write Inc. Every child left her school a reader, despite their special needs.

Ali Silke

Ali Silke began teaching in Tower Hamlets in Ruth’s school and later became her deputy head teacher. She went on to be a highly successful head of primary schools in Tower Hamlets and Southwark. Under Ali’s leadership, the schools in Whitechapel and Dulwich achieved excellent results using Read Write Inc. across the ability range from complex SEN to gifted and talented which was reflected in an overall outstanding OFSTED.

Katy Brierley

Katy worked as a Headteacher in West Yorkshire for twelve years and implemented Read Write Inc. in her school with excellent results. With a background in special educational needs she developed inclusive methods of teaching in both schools where she was Headteacher, and implemented Read Write Inc. in the early days of its development with great success. Katy’s school, Northowram Primary in Halifax also received an outstanding OFSTED in her time there.

Kirsten Mackie

Kirsten has extensive experience of working in challenging schools, understanding the needs of schools with very difficult circumstances. Kirsten was the Read Write Inc. manager at Monteagle Primary School, featured in the Channel 4 documentary ‘Last Chance Kids’.

Leah Sanders

In addition to her training work with Ruth Miskin Literacy, Leah is Deputy Head and Read Write Inc. manager at a highly successful Read Write Inc. model school in Newham, London. She has been managing Read Write Inc. there for over five years, and has taught every aspect of the programme. The school has had great success with the programme and receives visitors from all over the world to watch the lessons.

Leah has been graded as an outstanding teacher by Ofsted and her local authority.

Natalie Clayton

Natalie taught in Manchester at one of the first schools to adopt the Read Write Inc. programme, where her teaching was consistently rated as outstanding by OFSTED. She then introduced the programme to the Middle East and was Read Write Inc. manager for three years at the highly successful Repton School Dubai, managing a large department of 24 classes on the RWI programme, ensuring excellent progress and achieving excellent results, before returning to England. Natalie has a wealth of experience teaching children with English as an Additional Language, children with SEN, and gifted and talented children.

Hayri Mistiki

Hayri taught in primary schools in North London for 10 years and was a Leading Literacy teacher and Year head. She has been highly successful as Read Write Inc. manager in a challenging school with high mobility, high numbers of EAL and special needs pupils.

Charlotte Raby

Charlotte was a leading literacy teacher and assessment consultant in Brighton and Hove for five years, receiving excellent ratings from OFSTED. She has over 16 years experience teaching children with reading and writing difficulties, and has seen the huge benefit of Read Write Inc. for pupils in her school. She has also recently co-authored Read Write Inc. Comprehension Plus and is currently working with Ruth on other writing programmes.

Alice O'Reilly

Alice is Assistant Head Teacher and Read Write Inc. Manager at a successful Read Write Inc school in Hackney, London. Since the implementation of Read Write Inc, SAT results have improved dramatically for both reading and writing. Alice leads training for teachers and support staff across the Best Start Federations, and her own teaching has been consistently graded as outstanding by OFSTED. She also features in the Read Write Inc. training DVD!

Rachel Todd (based in Hong Kong)

Rachel trained as a primary teacher in New Zealand, where she taught until moving to the UK in 1999. She taught in London for several years and has been involved with Read Write Inc. since its initial development, achieving excellent results in a challenging London school before moving to Hong Kong in 2006.

Rachel is now RWI trainer for Hong Kong.

Astrid Cox (based in the Channel Islands)

Astrid has had extensive experience as a teacher both in England and abroad. Her teaching experiences have also focused on children with behavioural difficulties and special needs. She has managed the SENCOs' work in two Jersey schools, worked as an Inclusion Co-ordinator and was instrumental in bringing RWI to Jersey . She now manages and leads this in two schools, one of which she has successfully lead to 'Model' school status.

Jilly Crawford

Jilly taught for 17 years across the primary age range prior to joining Walsall Local Authority as an EYFS Consultant where was given responsibility for raising standards in speaking and listening. During the three years she led this initiative improvements were described as ‘outstanding’. Later she was responsible for early literacy in Walsall and has worked extensively with RWI Teachers, Managers and Head Teachers to support the improved implementation of RWI in many successful schools.

Sarah Jones – Trainer profile for Read Write Inc

Sarah has had extensive experience as a teacher and assistant headteacher. She worked as a Literacy Consultant for North Tyneside and since 2006 has worked as a senior lecturer in Primary English at the University of Cumbria. As subject leader for two years, she was at the forefront of developing programmes to prepare student teachers to teach reading. Part of this involved working in close partnership with schools, several of which are model schools for Read Write Inc. Her work in responding to national and local initiatives in the teaching of reading has recently been rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Amanda Fawcett

Amanda is Literacy Subject Leader and RWI manager at Ferryhill Station Primary School in County Durham. She has over 17 years teaching experience and has worked successfully with children across the whole of the Primary Phase.

Amanda was one of the first teachers to bring the programme to Durham and since then has helped to introduce it to many more schools in the area.

Amanda has consistently had outstanding ratings from OFSTED Inspectors, especially in RWI lessons.

Ceri Blacker

Ceri is an experienced and passionate Read Write Inc teacher and manager. Her teaching has been graded outstanding by Estyn and she has taught Read Write Inc since the start of her career, modelling lessons and training staff. Having jointly led a school in Monmouthshire to ‘model’ school status, she is currently leading the implementation of the Read Write Inc programme in a school in Caerphilly with great success.

Pat Griffiths

Pat is an experienced primary school teacher and SENCO, specialising in Literacy, and has been working in Ysgol Llwyn yr Eos in Wales for 17 years. The school was judged outstanding by ESTYN for its provision and inclusivity for SEN children. The school was one of the first schools in Wales to be awarded Model status for RWI; and has featured in TES Wales. She both manages, and teaches on the programme which also includes Fresh Start, Comprehension and Get Spelling.

Alison Park

Alison is currently teaching in Cumbria in the first school to adopt Read Write Inc. She has been teaching for 11 years in a variety of schools ranging from a city school with over 500 pupils down to a small village primary of just 52 and in both key stages. She is currently Literacy Leader and Read Write Inc. manager in a West Cumbrian school. The school is experiencing great success with the programme and is promoting Read Write Inc. within Cumbria.

Becky Anousis

Becky has worked with Read Write Inc. for five years after initially being introduced to Read Write Inc. during her teaching degree school placements. She then conducted an action based research project to measure the impact of Read Write Inc. phonics on EAL children and their reading progress in the Newham area of London. At her current school she helped to implement Read Write Inc. and make it a success through her role as Read Write Inc. manager and Year 1 year group director. She continues to teach while also working as a Read Write Inc. trainer. Her final dissertation for her Masters in Education is a study of the effect of Read Write Inc. on reading and writing levels.

Sue Boshell

Sue has been teaching for 12 years. She has taught across all age groups from Reception to Year 8, working in a wide range of schools, from ‘leafy lane’ schools to a challenging school with high mobility, and high numbers of EAL pupils and children with special needs.

Sue is the Literacy Lead and Read Write Inc. Manager of a model school in Northampton, guiding the school to model status within 12 months of starting the programme. She has been graded as an outstanding teacher by OFSTED.

Sue Cafolla

Sue has taught in primary schools for over 30 years and has been Deputy Head of a very successful school in Hertfordshire since 1989. She introduced RWI into her school 5 years ago with excellent results leading to the school being awarded Read Write Inc. Model School status for RWI in June 2008. Her school was graded outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in 2007 and 2010. Her school also uses Fresh Start, Comprehension, Comprehension Plus and Get Spelling, all of which have had a very positive impact.

Sue has particular expertise in Special Needs and Assessment and has gained an Outstanding from OFSTED in both of these aspects.

Clare Fletcher

Clare has been a teacher for 25 years, and a head teacher for the last 15. She has worked across the full primary age range, and is particularly interested in early years, literacy and SEN. Her current school has an outstanding Ofsted judgement and is a Read Write Inc. Model School. Her school appears in the recent Government publication ' Reading by 6' as an example of a school achieving outstanding results.

Kelly Knowles

Kelly is an experienced primary school teacher, having taught for 11 years in schools in the North West of England.

In addition to her training work with Ruth Miskin Literacy, Kelly is the Read Write Inc. manager at a successful school in Fleetwood, Lancashire. She has been managing the Read Write Inc. for over four years and has experienced managing and teaching all aspects of the programme, including Phonics, Comprehension, Fresh Start and Get Spelling.

Her school has had great success with Read Write Inc. and has been graded 'Outstanding' by OFSTED.

Heidi McGregor

Heidi has been teaching for 13 years, both in London and Australia.

She is KS1 Literacy Coordinator, Read Write Inc. Manager and a middle manager at Notting Hill Prep School, one of the first independent schools to start using the Read Write Inc. programme eight years ago. A recent inspection report rated literacy skills across the school as exceptional.

Julie Parnaby

Julie as been teaching for 14 years, and is currently Deputy Headteacher and Read Write Inc. Manager at Trimdon Village Community Infant and Nursery School in County Durham. The school is achieving great success with the programme.

Julie has worked in various schools ranging from small village schools to large primary schools within County Durham, where she has gained experience of teaching pupils of all ages across the primary phase.