Staff profile

David joined Durham University School of Education in September 2010 as Director of Primary Programmes and Course Leader for Primary English. David has extensive teaching experience in schools and universities. Having taught in four schools in East Yorkshire for fourteen years, latterly as a deputy headteacher, he took up a post as lecturer in English for ITT at University of Hull in 1990. He went on to lead the PGCE course, which achieved successive "outstanding" grades from Ofsted in 2004 and 2007, and became Head of Department of the Centre for Educational Studies in 2005. In 2008, he became one of two advisors for primary ITT for the National Strategies, working with universities and school-based training providers throughout England. His role included professional development for tutors and teachers; working with trainee teachers; organising and presenting at conferences; producing e-learning resources; leading projects on literacy, inclusion, and mathematics; and liaising with other agencies, including TDA, UCET and DCSF. In 2013, David was awarded a faculty prize for his outreach work in Primary English, which includes delivering lectures to students in schools, followed by students working one-to-one with pupils putting theory into practice. David has published extensively on primary English and on management of educational change, the subject for his doctoral thesis.

His publications include sixteen books for Scholastic designed to support teachers and trainees in planning for teaching. English 3-11 (2008, Routledge), written with Jolliffe, W, was a core text for many ITT providers. Its successor, English 5-11, published in October 2012 and 2017 are also core text in ITT. Teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics in Primary Schools (Jolliffe, W and Waugh, D with Carss, A) was published in June 2012 and 2016 and has also become a core text for ITT programmes, as have Teaching Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling in Primary Schools (2013 and 2016) and Primary English for Trainee Teachers 2014 and 2017).

He has also co-written e-learning resources, including Developing Literacy in ITT, Secondary Developing Literacy in ITT, Progressing Learning in Literacy, Developing Mathematics in ITT, and Mentoring and Coaching.

He has also written an app. Spelling Punctuation and Grammar for Children Count, together with English, E, Bulman, E, Allott, K and Waugh, R. (2014). This is designed to provide ready access to subject knowledge on spelling, grammar and punctuation for teachers via mobile phones and tablet computers.

David also wrote, with Jonathan Pye, a former postgraduate student, resources for the Teach It website on teaching spelling (published 2014).

A key feature of several of the books is the case studies of classroom practice provided by local teachers and Durham students, some of whom have been acknowledged in the text. The use of evidence from students helps inform scholarship (PV3) and engages students with writing and with relevant texts.

David is often asked to contribute articles to news websites (e.g. BBC) and newspapers (e.g. The Guardian)

David also enjoys writing stories for children. He is a published children’s author of three novels: Lottie’s Run; “Girls Can’t Play Football!”; and Jessica’s Other World, all of which are used in schools. He regularly works in schools in England and abroad, using novels as a focus for language work with children. This led to him being asked by 15 East Durham schools to write a novel with 45 children. The Wishroom was published in June 2017.

David would welcome supervision enquiries from students with an interest in Primary English, with a particular focus on children's literature, phonics and early reading, spelling, children's writing and grammar.

• Primary English
• The Teaching of Reading and Writing

• 2023: Poetry in Primary Schools: Keynote at Leeds Trinity University English Conference
• 2022: Whose Language is it Anyway?: Keynote for international language conference hosted by Liverpool University
• 2022: Developing a Life-Long Love of Reading and Books: Keynote lecture at Leeds Trinity University English Conference
• 2017: Keynote Speaker: APTE Partnership in ITE Conference in Liverpool
• 2017: Keynote Speaker: NUT Conference on Literacy
• 2017: Speaker: OECD Creativity Conference in Durham
• 2017: Keynote Speaker: TEAN "Let's Talk About Grammar" Conference at University of Cumbria
• 2014: Keynote Speaker: Phonics Conference at University of Cumbria
• 2014: Key Session: 'Meeting the New Emphasis on Grammar and Spelling': Capita's Meeting the New Standards for English Conference in London, Newcastle and Manchester
• 2013: Keynote Speaker: Phonics Conference at University of Cumbria
• 2013: Keynote Speaker: Regional Literacy Tutors Conference in York

Authored book

• Gill, A., Jolliffe, W., & Waugh, D. (2022). Teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics in the Primary School. (Fourth Edition). SAGE Publications
• Waugh, D., Warner, C., & Waugh, R. (2019). Teaching Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling in Primary Schools. (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications
• Gill, A., Jolliffe, W., & Waugh, D. (2019). Teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics in the Primary School 3rd edition. SAGE Publications
• Waugh, D., Jolliffe, W., & Allott, K. (2019). Primary English for Trainee Teachers. (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications
• Bushnell, A., Gill, A., & Waugh, D. (2019). Mastering Deeper Writing in Primary Schools. SAGE Publications
• Bushnell, A., & Waugh, D. (2017). Inviting Writing: Teaching and Learning Writing Across the Primary Curriculum. SAGE Publications
• Jolliffe, W., & Waugh, D. (2017). Mastering Primary English. Bloomsbury
• Waugh, D., Jolliffe, W., & Allott, K. (2017). Primary English for Trainee Teachers (2nd edition). SAGE Publications
• Jolliffe, W., & Waugh, D. (2017). NQT: the beginning teacher’s guide to outstanding practice. SAGE Publications
• Walker-Gleaves, C., & Waugh, D. (2017). Looking After Literacy. SAGE Publications
• Gill, A., & Waugh, D. (2017). Phonics: Getting it Right in a Week. Critical Publishing
• Allott, K., & Waugh, D. (2016). Language and Communication in Primary Schools. SAGE Publications
• Waugh, D. (2016). Teaching Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling in Primary Schools (Transforming Primary QTS Series)(2nd Revised edition). (2nd Edition). SAGE Publications
• Waugh, D., Neaum, S., & Waugh, R. (2016). Children's Literature in Primary Schools (Second revised edition). (2nd Edition). Learning Matters
• Waugh, D., & Joliffe, W. (2016). English 5-11: A guide for teachers. (3rd). Routledge
• Jolliffe, W., Waugh, D., & Carss, A. (2016). Teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics in Primary Schools (Transforming Primary QTS Series)(2nd Revised Edition). (2nd Edition). Learning Matters
• Waugh, D. (2015). Lessons in Teaching Phonics in Primary Schools. Learning Matters
• Waugh, D., Bushnell, A., & Neaum, S. (2015). Beyond Early Writing: Teaching Writing in Primary Schools (Critical Teaching). Critical Publishing Ltd
• Waugh, D. (2014). Primary English for Trainee Teachers. Learning Matters
• Waugh, D., & Harrison-Palmer, R. (2013). Teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics: Audit and Test. SAGE Publications
• Waugh, D., & Neaum, S. (2013). Beyond Early Reading (Critical Teaching). Critical Publishing
• Waugh, D., Neaum, S., & Waugh, R. (2013). Children's Literature in Primary Schools. SAGE Publications
• Waugh, D., Warner, C., & Waugh, R. (2013). Teaching Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling in Primary Schools. SAGE Publications
• Waugh, D. (2013). English 5-11: Second Edition (Primary 5-11 Series)(2nd edition). (2). Routledge

Chapter in book

• comprehension and pleasure. In T. Cremin, & J. Arthur (Eds.), Learning to Teach in the Primary School. (4th ed.). Routledge
• Waugh, D. (2017). Talk, reading comprehension and writing. In D. Jones, & P. Hodson (Eds.), Unlocking Speaking and Listening (2nd edition). David Fulton
• Waugh, D. (2015). Primary Education in England. In C. Brock (Ed.), Education in the United Kingdom (9-34). Bloomsbury
• Newton, L., & Waugh, D. (2012). Creativity in English. In L. Newton (Ed.), Creativity for a New Curriculum: 5-11 (19-35). Routledge
• Waugh, D. (2012). Creativity in English. In L. Newton (Ed.), Creativity for a New Curriculum. Routledge

Conference Paper

• Waugh, D. (2017, December). Developing Trainee Teachers’ Confidence in Spelling. Presented at TEAN Conference, Aston University, Birmingham
• Waugh, D. (2016, December). Writing With and For children. Presented at TEAN Conference, Aston University, Birmingham
• Waugh, D. (2015, December). School-based Teacher Training Sessions. Presented at TEAN Conference, Aston University, Birmingham

Edited book

• Gill, A., Stephenson, M., & Waugh, D. (Eds.). (2021). Developing an Love of Reading and Books: Teaching and nurturing readers in primary schools. SAGE Publications

Journal Article

• Gill, A., & Waugh, D. (online). Teaching Common Exception Words in KS1 – Is It Really That Tricky?. Teach primary!,
• Waugh, D., Warner, C., & Waugh, R. (online). Spelling out the New Curriculum. Teach primary!,
• Waugh, D., Warner, C., & Waugh, R. (online). Our Role is not Simply to Correct Mistakes. Teach primary!,
• Waugh, D. (online). Danny the Champion of the World Saved My Career. Teach primary!,
• Gill, A., & Waugh, D. (online). Teaching Common Exception Words at KS2. Teach primary!,

Other (Print)

• Blatchford, P. (2017). The Teachers’ Standards in the Classroom, 3rd edition

Report

• Higgins, S., Martell, T., Waugh, D., Henderson, P., & Sharples, J. (2017). Improving Literacy In Key Stage 2 : Guidance Report. [No known commissioning body]
• Higgins, S., Henderson, P., Martell, T., Sharples, J., & Waugh, D. (2016). Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 : Guidance Report. [No known commissioning body]