Steve Chinn
Steve’s experience spans over forty years of work and research in special and mainstream education. In 1986, he founded, developed and built a specialist secondary school for dyslexic boys, a school which won major national awards. He is now an independent consultant, researcher and writer and has presented papers, contributed to conferences worldwide (over 30 countries) and delivers training courses for psychologists, teachers, parents and support assistants.
BSc (Chemistry) PhD (Applied Physics) University of Leeds
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) University of Bristol
Dip Ed Man Bristol Polytechnic
Associate Membership of the British Dyslexia Association
2008 The Marion Welchman International Award for Services to Dyslexia
2010 The Lady Radnor (Dyslexia Action) Award for lifetime services to dyslexia.
2012 IDA Orton Oak’
2013 Visiting Prof of Special Education, University of Derby. 2013 to 2016.
Tenure extended to 2019.
2014 FRSA
14 years in mainstream schools teaching science
24 years as Head of three schools for dyslexic pupils
1981-84 Head of Shapwick School, a secondary school for dyslexic boys
1984-85 Head of Chatauqua Academy, Baltimore, USA, a co-ed high school for dyslexic pupils
He was the founder (1986) and Principal of Mark College, Somerset and retired in 2005. During his 19 years of setting up and running Mark College, it was awarded Beacon School Status by the DfES, the Award for Excellence by the Independent Schools’ Association, a Highly Effective School Certificate by the DfES, a National Training Award and a Sportsmark (with Distinction). Out of 14 members of staff, six had books published on aspects of dyslexia.
Societies and Committees (past and present)
- Chair of the 3rd International Conference of the British Dyslexia Association
- Chair (and co-founder) of CReSTeD, the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic pupils
- DfES Advisory Group on Partnerships between Independent and State Schools
- Trustee of the Hornsby International Dyslexia Centre
- Chair Dyslexia Action’s Education Advisory Group
- Chair of BDA Dyscalculia and Maths LD sub-committee
- Member of the ESRC Peer Review College
- Honorary Advisory Member of the Register of Educational Therapists (Singapore)
- Visiting Professor at the University of Derby
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
He has lectured and provided INSETs and CPD in some 30 countries worldwide and has been a keynote speaker at many major conferences. He set up the first Post Graduate Certificate course in the UK for maths and dyslexia which was accredited by the BDA for the AMBDA (Numeracy). The course was validated by MMU (4 Masters modules at M level) and was delivered for 4 years under Mark College’s Beacon School funding.
