Deborah Salsbury

The Reading Doctor is a specialised tuition and school intervention service founded by Deborah Salsbury in 2012. The franchise network and company mission; to reach out to as many struggling readers as possible, now spans the UK with 33 branches. Deborah, a qualified primary school teacher, began her teaching career in Bromley, Greater London, where she quickly transitioned into a role focused on group intervention. Her work centred on ensuring that all students, made good progress. Recognising the vital role of reading in educational success, she trained as a Reading Recovery Teacher at the Institute of Education in London.

This additional expertise led Deborah to fully commit to teaching reading, which inspired the creation of The Reading Doctor. Her passion for helping struggling learners drove her to work with schools with high numbers of disengaged students. She also became the lead reading teacher at a school for children with behavioural and learning difficulties, all while building her private tuition practice. The success of Deborah’s approach is evident in the recognition her work has received. OFSTED highlighted significant improvements in pupils’ reading ages, with average gains of nearly two years over a nine-month period. 

Deborah’s personal experiences, including having a daughter with dyslexia, further strengthened her belief that every child can succeed with the right teaching methods and a positive self-image. Beyond imparting reading skills, she focuses on nurturing self-belief in her students. Deborah’s dedication and successful initiatives have earned her numerous industry accolades, including awards such as Woman Franchisor of the Year, National Tutoring Awards, and recognition at the Kent Women in Business awards.