Dittas Training

Sarah Beard has worked as a dyslexia specialist for almost 30 years, with 23 of those dedicated to specialist assessment. Her career has taken her through a wide range of educational settings, including independent schools and further education colleges. Sarah has a deep-rooted passion for supporting learners with specific learning difficulties, and her commitment to the field has shaped both her professional path and her innovative approach to training others. Early on, she played a key role in delivering OCR Level 5 and Level 7 qualifications through a further education college, before going on to set up her own company in response to the Rose Review. Since then, she has trained over 300 teachers and was the first in the UK to offer the OCR Level 5 course in a remote format—something she remains particularly proud of. In addition to her training work, Sarah co-founded the national Exam Access Arrangements course, PAPAA, alongside Caroline Read, and remained involved until selling her shares in 2017. These days, her focus is firmly on diagnostic assessment and developing specialist dyslexia tuition through her small, carefully chosen team of tutors. She also puts a lot of energy into supporting fellow professionals through CPD courses, mentoring, and a dedicated membership space for dyslexia specialists. Whether it's working one-to-one with learners or helping others build their confidence and expertise, Sarah brings empathy, warmth, and years of hands-on experience to everything she does. As someone who is neurodiverse herself, and a mum to three neurodiverse adult children—including those with ADHD, ASD, and dyslexia—Sarah understands the lived reality of learning differences on a deeply personal level. She loves what she does and is passionate about making a difference. Remote working gives her the flexibility to travel—something she loves to do with her husband and their dog, Stitch—while continuing to do the work that matters most to her.

Sarah Beard has worked as a dyslexia specialist for almost 30 years, with 23 of those dedicated to specialist assessment. Her career has taken her through a wide range of educational settings, including independent schools and further education colleges. Sarah has a deep-rooted passion for supporting learners with specific learning difficulties, and her commitment to the field has shaped both her professional path and her innovative approach to training others. Early on, she played a key role in delivering OCR Level 5 and Level 7 qualifications through a further education college, before going on to set up her own company in response to the Rose Review. Since then, she has trained over 300 teachers and was the first in the UK to offer the OCR Level 5 course in a remote format—something she remains particularly proud of. In addition to her training work, Sarah co-founded the national Exam Access Arrangements course, PAPAA, alongside Caroline Read, and remained involved until selling her shares in 2017. These days, her focus is firmly on diagnostic assessment and developing specialist dyslexia tuition through her small, carefully chosen team of tutors. She also puts a lot of energy into supporting fellow professionals through CPD courses, mentoring, and a dedicated membership space for dyslexia specialists. Whether it's working one-to-one with learners or helping others build their confidence and expertise, Sarah brings empathy, warmth, and years of hands-on experience to everything she does. As someone who is neurodiverse herself, and a mum to three neurodiverse adult children—including those with ADHD, ASD, and dyslexia—Sarah understands the lived reality of learning differences on a deeply personal level. She loves what she does and is passionate about making a difference. Remote working gives her the flexibility to travel—something she loves to do with her husband and their dog, Stitch—while continuing to do the work that matters most to her.