Literacy Strategy
Philosophy
‘Reading, writing, vocabulary, speaking, listening, debate…the complex tapestry of great teaching, enacted in every lesson, in every phase and subject domain, by every teacher’ Alex Quigley
We believe that for all pupils to succeed they must be well equipped with enough language to access the pleasure of reading, the excitement of writing and to explore new subjects, unlocking the potential to learn and grow as individuals. A strong command of language is not only essential in the wider academic world but it can also affect a pupil’s self-esteem and confidence.
Research suggests that pupils who read more frequently tend to have more academic success and go on to have better career prospects after they leave school than those who read less frequently. Further to this, reading has been proven to help lessen anxiety and improve wellbeing (Clark and Rumbold 2006). Therefore at St Aidan’s supporting the growth of literacy is promoted each and every single day, building upon pupils’ primary experiences, across all of the different subjects we offer.
All strategies implemented in school are built on solid communication with our primary feeders and extensive educational research: the EEF handbook; Alex Quigley’s ‘Reading/Writing Gap’; Mary Myatt, Matt Bromley and Christine Counsell to name but a few.
The related documents in this section of our website outline what it takes to make sure that pupils’ acquisition of literacy is at the centre of all that we do.
Meet the team:
Emma Underbjerg: Teacher of English, Phonics and Classroom Intervention – For students who struggle with reading, we offer Sounds Write intervention, and the first step is a diagnostic test, which identifies the specific area of segmenting, blending and phoneme manipulation which requires support. These students are identified through a combination of their reading age data, their assessment data and their progress through the curriculum, based on conversations with classroom teachers. After the diagnostic test, the students are put into small groups with similar needs, and who all require the same tier of intervention. They are then taken through the Sounds Write programme, depending on their particular needs. Our goal is to ensure that all pupils have secure phonic knowledge, such as alphabet code knowledge, and secure phonic skills, such as segmenting, blending and phoneme manipulation. This will allow pupils to read with accuracy and automaticity, which further allows reading comprehension and fluency. Ultimately, secure phonic knowledge and skills gives pupils a way of decoding any unfamiliar word, ensuring that all pupils can access the full richness of the curriculum.
Kayleigh Sansom: Teacher of English and Classroom Intervention – One to one intervention strategy will be tailored to individual needs, with students receiving in class support over a range of subjects. Working one to one with students will allow access to the curriculum at a deeper level and promote independent thinking through prompts and questioning. Upon reflection students will be able to see how far they have come and feel a sense of pride in both themselves and their independent work. The aim is to develop confidence in their own ability and a sense of accomplishment as they meet targets and improve their independent writing and literacy skills.
Nicola Moorhead: Assistant Head of English and Reading Plus Intervention – Reading Plus is a programme that is aimed to help with reading comprehension. Tasks are tailored to individual needs based on reading age. The programme monitors progress and is there to help increase reading age and pace of reading to the average of 220 words per minute. The intended Impact of reading plus is to increase reading age and to help pupils read with confidence, fluency and understanding. Reading Plus is monitored regularly by tests within the programme and reading age tests per cycle. There are loads of features of the programme which can be shared with pupils. When pupils are up to or 2 years below their reading age, they can come off the programme and be added to the watch list, where we will closely monitor reading data to ensure progress is being made.
Emma Naile: Reading & Literacy Assistant and Phonics Intervention – I am based in the reading room and I take year 7-9 reading lessons. I direct pupils to their correct book level, facilitate book tests and record and inform of progress made within reading. Through reading lessons, I promote the love of reading with our pupils, guiding and encouraging them to take the designated time put aside within our school day and really enjoy reading for pleasure. I am trained in phonics which will be one of my focuses this year. I also work with pupils that need small group or one to one intervention on literacy skills, helping all pupils to be able to access the curriculum. My responsibility is to conduct reading age tests and analyse data to see what sort of intervention pupils may need.
