Whole-school literacy strategy
Headteacher and Teach First ambassador Alex Birks-Agnew told us how his secondary school uses pupil premium funding for a whole school reading intervention, understanding that this is a crucial way to narrow the attainment and opportunity gap.
The intervention means that all children have reading support tailored to their current ability. Narrowing the attainment and opportunity gap is not just about supporting children who are falling behind their peers in certain subjects, but identifying those who could be stretched further and thereby helping every child achieve their full potential.
“Acquiring disciplinary literacy is key for students as they learn new, more complex concepts in each subject. One of the things that we have used our pupil premium money to support is our literacy strategy which we have trained our staff to deliver. At Key Stage 3, we stream our tutor times based upon reading age. What that means is that during tutor time, we will have some groups doing specially targeted programmes to support them to get to the stage they should be at. We have also got some students who are strong readers so we make sure they can be stretched and challenged. This means our reading strategy supports all our pupils, regardless of initial ability.”
Impact
The school’s latest Ofsted report praises the ‘impressive’ literacy programme and states that pupils who need additional support are provided with the ‘right help’ to become ‘accurate and fluent readers’:
“The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils learn to read and has created an impressive programme to achieve this. All pupils have regular opportunities to read a range of challenging texts, including in tutor times and in lessons. This continues in the sixth form, where students read regularly and have debates about a variety of texts. Those pupils who need additional support to become accurate and fluent readers are provided with the right help.”
– Alex Birks-Agnew, Headteacher and Teach First ambassador, Ark Alexandra, Hastings
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