Literacy

We place an extremely high value on the delivery of Literacy for all our pupils. Reading, writing and communication skills are crucial in ensuring success within all curriculum areas but also in our pupils’ lives beyond the Academy.

Principles and Aims of the Literacy Across the Curriculum

Pupils choose further education or decide to join the workplace, a secure application of Literacy skills is required for both. For this reason we have formulated a whole school approach whereby all staff are committed to focusing on Literacy objectives as part of every lesson in the following ways:

• pupils need to be competent readers, writers, speakers and listeners in order to reach their academic potential;
• improved Literacy standards will lead to higher attainment in subjects;
• literacy teaching is the responsibility of every teacher in every curriculum subject and is a Teacher Standard.

All teachers are teachers of Literacy; although the English department will teach the key skills of Literacy and Oracy, every teacher across all departments should develop and improve standards of Literacy through providing good models and opportunities for pupils to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Literacy Objectives will be printed as a point of reference, as the year goes on it will be useful for staff to revisit them with pupils before completing a piece of extended writing. There is a whole school Literacy marking policy; posters are displayed in every room and as a minimum on every piece of extended writing we expect staff to identify and set three spelling errors (sp); to underline incorrect punctuation (p); to identify if a paragraph should have been used (//) and to underline any grammatical errors where the pupil’s work doesn’t quite make sense (?).

Every pupil has a tutor time Literacy session once a week. This opportunity ensures that explicit time is devoted to literacy activities alongside the teaching of reading that takes place in subject lessons.

When setting out written work pupils must:

• write using only blue or black ink
• write the date in full e.g. Monday 4th September 2025
• title every piece of work using appropriate initial capital letters;
• cross out mistakes using a single line;
• not use Tippex or other forms of correction fluid.
• use a pencil and ruler to draw diagrams, graphs, maps etc.

Every teacher should ensure that key vocabulary is displayed during the lesson and on the Learning Programme as pupils will be expected to use such vocabulary accurately.

When introducing new forms of writing, teachers should:

• model good written examples;
• explore word/sentence/text level/features of the text;
• define conventions;
• demonstrate composition (modelling and shared writing);
• scaffold early attempts (e.g. sentence starters, writing frames);
• provide independent writing practice including opportunities for extended writing;
• review and draw out key learning.

Teachers should ensure that the whole school Literacy focus is being implemented and consolidated, where appropriate, throughout their lessons and in their marking. Pupils’ work needs to be written accurately following the basic rules of grammar and punctuation.

Speaking and Listening Teachers should recognise the link between speaking and writing and the important part speaking and listening plays in learning.

Pupils need to be given opportunities to practice and develop skills to:

• speak clearly, audibly and with confidence;
• express and justify with reasons/evidence, opinions and feelings;
• present ideas, information and arguments clearly and cogently;
• develop their ability to use and discriminate between fact, opinion and bias;
• adapt language to a widening variety of demands which will include using the grammar and vocabulary of Standard English;
• use full sentences when speaking.

Reading

Children need to read so they can become fluent; it is not enough that they can decode words without understanding their meaning as they will not comprehend their text. If pupils do not comprehend what they are reading they cannot access the full curriculum therefore gaps will begin to form.

All pupils will have access to a fortnightly reading lesson in every subject. They will learn how to read fiction and non-fiction texts fluently through a range of consistent steps that staff members will follow.

• all departments will have three prepared texts per Learning Programme, these must be annotated to identify and pre-empt any common misconceptions,
• staff will have identified at least three words from the text that pupils will struggle to understand – these words will be explained to pupils,
• staff will read the text to pupils whilst the pupils identify any words they do not understand,
• staff will implement the rule of 3-2-1; 3 essential points; 2 pieces of key vocabulary; 1 The Big Idea (summarising the text),
• pupils will then re-read the text,
• staff will set a comprehension task to check knowledge of the text.

Pupils should be encouraged to read aloud, fluently and with expression. Where necessary paired and partnered reading strategies to improve competency levels should also be provided. Reading enrichment activities and additional support, where necessary, will be coordinated by the Literacy Coordinator and the Librarian.

Reading Ages

Reading Ages will be tested three times a year. Pupils will be tested using the NRGT package which adapts to their individual needs to give the most accurate reading age. This data is then shared on School Synergy so that all teachers can access it and adapt, providing scaffolding and reasonable adjustments as appropriate.

Reading for Pleasure

During the day, pupils will be expected to partake in independent reading. Competitions run throughout the year and displays encourage reading. We will have a ‘Marauder’s Map’ and pupils will read to different points to complete tasks and gain prizes. All teachers are expected to promote a love of reading through contributing to the reading total of their assigned house and displaying their reading suggestions on their classroom posters.

Drop Everything and Read (DEAR)

Staff also deliver sessions during ‘Drop Everything And Read’ day. Pupils read a section of a short story during each lesson of the day; this supports pupils’ breadth of reading and raises engagement with stories and reading across the Academy.