Literacy Strategy

Evidence Gathered

• First Year reading entrance exam
• First Year literacy survey
• Staff Reflection

Analysis of Evidence

Strengths

• 67.60% of first year students would see themselves as good readers
• 73% of first year students like reading
• The school has a wide and appropriate range of resources for all class groupings
• A standardised test is carried out on each student during their first week in First Year.
• Attainment levels are very good for pupils in numeracy and literacy
• Well organised Resource and Learning Support Department in the school

Areas for Improvement

• Improvement in comprehension, note-taking and spelling among student cohort
• Increase the number of students reading for enjoyment outside school
• Improve the standard of written work presented by students for correction
• Track the development of students’ literacy skills over school career
• A literacy and numeracy element will be adopted as part of all Subject Department Plans

Improvement Target 1

• Improvement in comprehension, note-taking and spelling among student cohort
• Development of comprehension skills using different techniques e.g. 4-3-2-1
• Word-walls in all classrooms displaying key-words for each topic
• Dictionary on 1st year booklist
• Use crosswords, word search and cloze tests to teach keywords and as assessment tools
• Insistence on perfect grammar and spelling on all posters throughout the school

Improvement Target 2

Increase the number of students reading for enjoyment outside school

• Introduce a library to the school for students to use at lunchtime
• The “Drop Everything and Read” (DEAR) strategy will be used once in every term. This promotes reading across the whole school. The idea is that, at a set time, everyone stops what they are doing and reads for fifteen minutes. It is a shared experience, gets people talking about books and reading while conveying a strong message that the school believes in reading
• First Year students will be given a list of book recommendations to read throughout the year to encourage students to read at home
• Corridors, stairs and locker areas will be areas for print rich material

Improvement Target 3

Improve the standard of written work presented by students for correction

• Time given at the end of class for students to write down homework
• Homework written on the whiteboard
• Staff agree on a common writing/correction scheme to be used for all subjects
• Grammar, punctuation and spelling corrected in all subjects(with consideration taken for students with Special Education Needs)
• Homework journal checked and signed every week by tutor
• Promote continued parental involvement and support of their child’s literacy development.

Improvement Target 4

Track the development of students’ literacy skills over school career

• Gather and collate the student passport provided by the transferring national school
• Test all first year students during their first week of school using the Cognitive Ability Test
• Analyse these tests at the end of first year against their summer tests

Improvement Target 5

A literacy and numeracy element will be adopted as part of all Subject Department Plans

Progress Made on Strategy

• There is an improvement in the standard of written work presented by students for correction
• There is an increase in the use of ICT throughout the school to promote literacy
• The school has seen an increase in posters and print rich material in public areas
• There is a well-stocked library with easy access for all students to books, written materials and computers.
• There are Word-Walls in many classrooms displaying keywords for each topic

Areas Prioritised for Improvement