| Wynford N. Dore | |
| Nationality: | British |
| Birth Name: | Wynford Newman Dore |
| Birth Place: | Tongwynlais, South Wales |
| Organizations: | Nullifire Education Development International Brigade Clothing Zing Performance Arnold Lodge School |
| Alma Mater: | King Henry VIII School Harvard Business School |
Wynford Newman Dore (born 1949) is a British businessman and author.[1] He has written two books such as Dyslexia: The Miracle Cure and Stop Struggling in School. Previously, he founded Nullifire and Education Development International. He is also associated with Arnold Lodge School.
Wynford Dore was born in Tongwynlais, South Wales.[1] His parents moved to Coventry in 1959 in search of work. He gained a scholarship to King Henry VIII School and went into industry to study computing and systems design.
In 1974, Dore saw a business opportunity following the introduction of the Fire Precautions Act 1971.[2] In response, he set up his own company Nullifire Ltd, offering fire protection products to public buildings, including hotels and guesthouses.[3] In 1998, Nullifire was acquired by an American company.[3] [4] Following the sale of Nullfire, Dore became involved with a number of companies, including Brigade Clothing, a supplier of school-wear.[5] He is now associated with Zing Performance.
In 1999, Dore co-founded The Education Partnership with Gareth Newman, a retired principal of a reputed college, Brooke Weston City Technology College.[6] [7] The initiative was established in response to Education Secretary David Blunkett's 1998 policy, which permitted private companies to manage schools or education authorities.[7] Among the company's directors was James Tooley.[6] The company bought a school, named Arnold Lodge School in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
The company was later renamed as Education Development International plc. In 2011, it was sold to Pearson plc.[8] [9] [10]
Dore, the financier and chairman of Newman Schools Ltd, acquired Arnold Lodge School in Royal Leamington Spa in 1999, which was nominated for Senior School of the Year in the UK in 2020 by the Times Educational Supplement.[11] [12]
In 2023, he acquired Stratford on Avon Preparatory School.[13]
See main article: article and Dore Programme. Dore later became known for developing an exercise-based programme that he claimed to be an effective treatment for people with dyslexia, ADHD, developmental coordination disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
The treatment was developed by researchers at a centre Dore founded in Warwickshire after studying Professor Jeremey Schmahmann of Harvard Medical School[14] and Professor Rod Nicolson of Sheffield University's work on dyslexia.[15] [16] [1] The treatment gained national attention when it was featured on ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald.[1] Around £15 million were spent on research by him.[17] The treatment was endorsed by Professor David Reynolds, an academic from Llantrisant.[18] [1] [19] The treatment was believed to had the potential to significantly impact many children's lives.[1] Driven by his daughter Susie's dyslexia-related suicide attempts, Dore had founded the Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Attention Disorder Centre in Kenilworth for further development of the treatment.[1] Between 2006 and 2007, Dore opened 11 clinics, known as Dore Achievement Centres.[20] Later, clinics were expanded internationally in countries such as Australia, South Africa, and the United States.[16] At the clinics, people with dyslexia, ADHD and dyspraxia followed a programme of exercises designed to stimulate the cerebellum. Dore claimed that his programme has a success rate of over 80 percent.[21]
The Dore method is a non-pharmacological approach to improving brain function, specifically targeting the cerebellum.[22] The programme, spread over 12 months, utilizes a series of exercises, primarily focused on balance, which are designed to unlock the cerebellum and restore its optimal functionality.[17] [22]
Dore's methods proved controversial with some experts in the conditions that he claimed to have found a cure for.[23] The study funded by Dore was criticised for including no control group.[24] Subsequent research studies have justified the theories he proposed and the role of the cerebellum is now accepted.[25] His programs have now been shown to benefit children struggling at school.[26]
In May 2008, the DDAT company (Dyslexia Dyspraxia Attention Treatment), which operated the clinics, went into liquidation in the UK.[27] "The Dore Group", operating 13 Australian clinics in, went into voluntary administration in June 2008.[28] [29] [30] Dore further developed his research to create an online adaptation of the technology, eliminating the need for clinic visits. This development is now operational as Zing Performance Ltd, a company under Dore's ownership.[31] [32] Additionally, these programs have been effectively employed to assist seniors in improving balance and memory. [33]
Since 2014, Dore has served on the Board of Directors at The Reach Institute, New York which is chaired by Professor Peter Jensen, former head of Child Psychiatry for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).[34] The institute provides support for children with behavioral and developmental issues across North America.[34]
Dore has four children; Susie, Rosie, Glyn and Gareth.[3] He lives in Stratford on Avon in Warwickshire, England.