Contents

Introduction

Across Knowsley, Headteachers, SENCos and teaching staff have recognised a need to focus on developing a whole school response to further support the teaching and learning of students with literacy difficulties including dyslexia.

The Knowsley Centre of Excellence for Dyslexia Accreditation is designed to enable schools to evaluate their existing provision and with the expertise of Learning Support staff, move the whole school community to become a Centre of Excellence.

Key benefits for school:

1. To support the school self evaluation process in relation to achievement of pupils and quality of teaching in the school.

2. To involve the whole school community in evaluating current practice and expertise then recognising priorities to raise standards in teaching and learning.

3. To provide evidence to support the new Ofsted framework that "effective teaching strategies engage pupils in their learning and develop skills in reading, writing, communication and mathematics."

4. The development of quality first teaching across the curriculum to enable all pupils to engage fully in their learning.

5. To provide a basic skills entitlement for all pupils to encourage them to become independent learners and achieve to their full potential.

6. To demonstrate how targeted groups of pupils are enabled to make sustained progress over time.

Bronze Award
To achieve the Bronze Award schools will:
  • Audit their current practice and provision, recognising strengths and areas for development.
  • Review the audit with the management team and governors.
  • Receive whole school introductory training.
  • Write an action plan to improve teaching and learning for pupils with literacy difficulties by focussing on the areas of:
  1. leadership and management
  2. teaching and learning
  3. the learning environment
  4. partnership with the wider school community

Silver Award
To achieve the Silver Award, schools will:
  • Designate a lead professional with responsibility for driving forward the implementation of the action plan.
  • Plan to deliver the targets in the action plan, in partnership with learning support staff, by set achievable deadlines.
These targets may include:
  1. further training
  2. auditing classroom environments
  3. lesson observations and team teaching
  4. monitoring and evaluating the progress of identified cohorts of students
  5. enabling parents to become partners in learning
  • Review and evaluate the impact of the action plan on the progress of students with literacy difficulties.

Gold Award
To achieve the Gold Award schools will:
  • Recognise from the evaluation of their action plan key successes and a foci for continued development to be included as part of the School Improvement Plan.
  • Demonstrate, through scrutiny of tracking and monitoring, that students with literacy difficulties continue to make good progress.
  • Celebrate good practice through a learning walk to quality assure the continued good provision.

Accreditation Timeline

Award / Timescale
Bronze / One term
Silver / An academic year
Gold / One year after completion of silver award
Re -accreditation / Every 3 years

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