Date effective from: / 1st September 2016
Date approved by Governors: / 19th September 2016
Date of review: / September 2017
Prepared by: / Literacy Coordinator

What is Literacy?

Literacy includes the key skills of reading, writing and oral communication that enable pupils to access different areas of the curriculum. (Ofsted, 2015)

Literacy is made up of three components, reading, writing and speaking and listening skills, we all need literacy to fulfil our potential. These life skills are essential to the happiness, health and wealth of individuals and society. In short, all classroom practitioners have the responsibility to empower the masses through literacy.

To be literate is to gain a voice and to participate meaningfully and assertively to one’s life.

As teachers, we have a shared responsibility to ensure the pupils we teach have an opportunity to read the world around them. Ultimately, our goal as educators is to provide the skill set in which pupils can confidently write their own history.

Literacy provides access to written knowledge –Knowledge is power. (Improving literacy in secondary schools- a shared responsibility 2013).

I don’t teach English! What’s in it for me?

English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching all subjects. (Ofsted, 2014)

English language is essential for success in all subject areas. Most importantly for pupils, the ability to de-code and understand language provides access to the whole curriculum. The changes to the GCSE syllabus to include more “rigour” coincided with the removal of controlled assessments, highlights the necessity to prioritise literacy in all subject areas. A systematic and conscientious approach to improving literacy, will over time improve whole school examination results.

The daily impact you will see in lessons

• Literacy supports learning. Pupils need vocabulary, expression and organisational control to cope with the cognitive demands of subjects;

• Reading enables us to learn from sources beyond our immediate experience;

• Through language we make and revise meaning;

• Writing helps us to sustain and order thought;

• Responding to higher order questions encourages the development of thinking skills and enquiry;

• Better literacy leads to improved self-esteem, motivation and behaviour. It allows pupils to learn independently. It is empowering.

The legacy of literacy

The impact upon life after post 16 without sufficient literacy skills makes for distressing reading. The Department of Education stated in 2015 :

55% of adults with low levels of literacy are more likely to be unemployed.

Also highlighted in the report was:

[The matter of] Adults in England with low levels of literacy are three times more likely of reporting poor health.

What does this look like in Britain today?

  • Only one in five parents easily find the opportunity to read to their children.
  • One adult in six still only has the expected reading skills of an eleven year old.
  • Seven million adults in England cannot use the page reference for plumbers in the Yellow Pages.
  • 1-in-16 adults cannot identify a concert venue on a poster that contains the name of band, price, date, time and venue.

The Reality

Without a collaborative focus to develop and promote the value of literacy, a young person’s life chances are severely diminished; their employability, health, confidence and happiness are all compromised.

Literacy is the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realise his or her full potential. (Beadle, 2015: 10)

What the experts say

What Ofsted Say

International benchmarks demonstrate that standards in literacy in England are behind many of our international competitors. As a result, the government is prioritising the raising standards of literacy in schools. It has updated its policies to keep literacy at the heart of school improvement.

Heysham High’s “Literacy Line”

Proposal for Literacy across the curriculum

Every classroom contains a SPAG map outlining all the factors that contribute to the term literacy. At Heysham High, we are going on about to embark on the “Literacy Line”.

  • Whole School departmental literacy audit.
  • Create Literacy Teaching and Learning focus group to discuss findings from audits.
  • Teaching and Learning workshops CPD session about literacy.

Marking stamper to reflect new incentive. All literacy errors to be highlighted depending on the half term literacy line colour. I.E: Please correct the features highlighted in pink.

  • NLF to go into all assemblies to explain literacy journey and hand out passes.
  • Literacy Leadership awards for pupils in 6th form and KS4.
  • Literacy Champion roles to be advertised for KS4 AND KS3.
  • Literacy MOT’s for pupils in all subject areas (first week back)
  • Spelling test of the 50 most commonly misspelt words test to be taken during life skills.
  • Literacy placemats to be used in all subject areas.
  • Each week on a Wednesday (AKA Wonderful Words Wednesday) during form time pupils will take part in a meaningful literacy activity. In the same way Londoner have the Oyster Card, we are going to have the Heysham Literacy pass. The idea is that every sub-section of the card must be completed for pupils to receive a colour- coded sticker. During Mini-Mock week, tests will be taken to see whether or not the pupil has made progress.
  • Teaching and Learning literacy group to meet first week back to discuss findings and to bring examples of 5 books per class/ per department. Also subject specialists will be encouraged to bring a list of names to the meeting of pupils making progress.
  • First week back after half term NLF to go into assemblies and hand out awards for progress and achievement.
  • Budget to be confirmed regarding subscription fee for Literacy trust (£100.00) and whole school printing and awards.
  • Identifying progress through book scrutiny sessions focused on literacy.
  • Lesson Observations to have specific literacy objectives.
  • Capacity given to NLF to monitor form time activities through lesson drop ins and learning walks to monitor progress and record data.

The Start of the Journey

Week 1:

Week Beginning Half Term 1 / Literacy Focus
05/09/16 / Nouns
12/09/16 / Pronoun
19/09/16 / Verbs, Subject, Object
26/09/16 / Adjectives
03/10/16 / Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases
10/10/16 / Determiners and Prepositions
17/10/16 / **** Mini Mock Week TEST**** First Stamp to be collected. Prizes to be handed out.

Literacy MOT PART 2 (To be completed during English lessons)

Second spelling test 50 Most Commonly misspelled words to be completed during first life skills lesson.

Destination verb forms and Tenses

Week Beginning Half Term 2 / Literacy Focus
07/11/16 / Modal Verbs
14/11/16 / Active and Passive Verbs
21/11/16 / Present and Past Perfect
28/11/16 / Simple Past and Simple Present
05/12/16 / Subjective Forms
12/12/16 / **** Mini Mock Week TEST**** Second Stamp to be collected. Prizes to be handed out.

Literacy MOT PART 3 (To be completed in ALL SUBJECT AREAS)

Third spelling test 50 Most Commonly misspelled words to be completed during first life skills lesson.

Week Beginning Half Term 3 / Literacy Focus
04/01/17 / Sentence Structures
09/01/17 / Simple Sentences
16/01/17 / Compound Sentences
23/01/17 / Complex Sentences
30/01/17 / Questions ,Exclamation, Statement and Command
06/02/17 / **** Mini Mock Week TEST**** Third Stamp to be collected. Prizes to be handed out.

Destination Sentences

Literacy MOT PART 4 (To be completed during English lessons)

Forth spelling test 50 Most Commonly misspelled words to be completed during first life skills lesson.

Destination Punctuation

Week Beginning Half Term 4 / Literacy Focus
20/02/17 / Capital letters
27/02/17 / Sentence Endings.!? Brackets, Ellipses and Dashes
06/03/17 / Apostrophes
13/03/17 / Semi Colons and Colons
20/03/17 / Connectives, Conjunctions and Phrases
27/03/17 / **** Mini Mock Week TEST**** Fourth Stamp to be collected. Prizes to be handed out.

Literacy MOT PART 5 (To be completed IN ALL Subject Areas)

Fifth spelling test 50 Most Commonly misspelled words to be completed during first life skills lesson.

Destination Spelling and Vocabulary

Week Beginning Half Term 5 / Literacy Focus
18/04/17 / Singular, Plural Nouns and Noun Phrases
24/04/17 / Word families, Standard and Non- Standard English
01/05/17 / Adjective Phrases and Prepositional Phrases
08/05/17 / Vowels ,Homophones and Antonym
15/05/17 / Prefix, Suffix and Clauses
22/05/17 / **** Mini Mock Week TEST**** Fifth Stamp to be collected. Prizes to be handed out.

Destination Re-Cap

Week Beginning Half Term 4 / Literacy Focus: Re-cap Week
05/06/17 / Grammar
12/06/17 / Verb Forms and Tenses
19/06/17 / Sentences
26/06/17 / Punctuation
03/07/17 / Vocabulary and Spellings
10/07/17 / Enrichment Week Prizes and awards to be handed out for achievement and progress.

Useful Websites

teachit.co.uk

lendmeyourliteracy.com

lovereading4kids.co.uk

literacytrust.org.uk

theguardian.com/education/literacy ictgames.com/literacy.html

Who to follow on Twitter

@Grammarly@literacylender

@IveReadThat

@literacychat