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Literacy

Change your words: change your world 

 

Why Literacy matters: 

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.” (Kofi Annan, 1997) 

Literacy is a fundamental human right, the foundation for lifelong learning. Having a secure level of literacy transforms lives, from improving health and relationships as well as academic success. Poor literacy skills will act as a barrier to learning and will, therefore, impact negatively on what students can do and how they see themselves. 

 

Ethos: 

The staff of The Misbourne are committed to developing the literacy skills of our students, in the belief that this will support their learning, enabling them to access the whole curriculum and, in turn, raise standards for all. It is important to recognise that all teachers are teachers of literacy. At The Misbourne, we believe that words are powerful in linking the process of thinking, reading, writing, speaking and listening.  

Schemes of learning in all subject areas identify key vocabulary that will be taught in each unit of work. This forms the basis for the explicit teaching of vocabulary including key prefixes, root words and suffixes. Activities to support deeper understanding, including subject reading lists are also used to consolidate and extend literacy skills. 

Whilst quality teaching and learning underpins this ethos, we also have a number of different strategies and interventions to further support students with their literacy. 

 

How we support improving literacy: 

Tier 1 - Class Reader: 

Across all year groups in Key Stage 3 and 4, form tutors read aloud to their class four mornings per week for 15 minutes.  There are a range of texts to choose from - offering different genres including non–fiction and short stories.  The chosen books cover a variety of time periods, traditions and cultures all aiming to provide students with a range of experiences and access to noteworthy literature. Our texts promote equality and diversity. 

More information about our class reader programme can be found via the link on the left of this page or by clicking here

Tier 2a - Reading buddies: 

Reading buddies is an initiative in our school where Year 7 and 8 students are paired up with a Year 12 or 13 student from their ‘small school’ community to support reading. This provides an opportunity for students to read out aloud and read together – helping with reading comprehension and fluency. The buddy system takes place during registration time one morning a week.  

Tier 2b - Intervention sessions: 

When appropriate, students receive 30-minute intervention sessions supporting reading or vocabulary either through Lexia (online program supporting vocabulary and comprehension) or through targeted sessions run by a member of the intervention team.  

Tier 3 - Specialist support: 

Where students require additional support, we employ a specialist primary trained teacher to work with small groups of students on a weekly basis. The focus of this work is determined by students’ needs and includes a sustained focus on decoding, comprehension and fluency. 

We also offer targeted Period 6 lessons to some students in Year 7 who have benefitted from additional English teaching to support literacy development as part of the transition into secondary school. These weekly lessons are taught by our Curriculum Leader for English. 

The Library: 

Our school library is an excellent resource to support students with their reading, both reading fiction and non-fiction. We have a wealth of books, which are regularly reviewed and updated.  It is also a supportive place to study and develop independent study skills. It is staffed by a knowledgeable and dedicated librarian.