Literacy

“There is no magic wand to closing the reading gap. However, the Braunton model strives to facilitate conditions that allow all learners to access the curriculum now and then thrive later in life.”

Overview

Developing reading, writing and oracy throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 is key to every student’s success at all levels. At Braunton, students’ literacy development is supported across the whole school and in all subjects. Although most learn the basics of reading in primary school, the literacy journey continues throughout their education. In secondary school, all students continue to ‘learn to read’ a wider range of more complex texts within the academic conventions of different subjects, and increasingly ‘read to learn’ in all of their curriculum subjects, as they become more independent and able learners.

We aim for all students to have far more than ‘functional’ literacy by the time they leave their education with us, and that the vast majority should reach a reading level in line with their chronological age. We know that a high level of literacy gives students the best opportunity to be lifelong readers and learners, to participate fully in society and democracy, and to have greater control and ownership over their lives. For this reason, we ensure that all students who need it have access to additional literacy support that is targeted to their needs, so that those who come to us from Key Stage 2 without the necessary foundational knowledge are given additional learning and practice opportunities. In almost all cases – except where a more differentiated curriculum is required due to significant learning needs – students involved with literacy interventions continue to participate in a full broad and balanced curriculum, and they do not lose their entitlement to non-core subjects such as Physical Education or Modern Foreign Languages.

We continually evaluate and develop our literacy provision at Braunton, to ensure that everything we do makes a positive difference to our students’ learning and futures.  

Our literacy policy is called ‘Literacy 30’ – This means that literacy is a priority, 6 lessons a day, 5 days a week.

"When literacy is promoted in every lesson, every day, and when literacy skills are clearly signposted in lessons, it enables students to see the value of literacy skills and develops confidence in their individuality. When we equip learners with the skills they need in order to communicate effectively in any form, it unlocks their potential to succeed at the highest level as they develop stronger knowledge and learn how to communicate their knowledge."

Whole School Literacy DRIVE:

Our reading strategy revolves around five strands:

Disciplinary literacy (developing subject specific literacy competency).

Reading fluency (allowing students to read for pleasure).

Intervention (signposting literacy requirements and gaps in knowledge and offering tailored support).

Vocabulary (explicit teaching of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary across the curriculum).

Exploration beyond the curriculum (wider reading and research through the library and beyond).

Closing the Gap:

Every student in Years 7 – 9 undertakes NGRT baseline testing in Autumn 1. This data is used to identify students with the highest literacy needs and to prioritise interventions, notice emerging needs, as well as to track cohort progress over time.

Year 10 - 11 pupils highlighted as weaker readers in Key Stage 3 are monitored and re-tested to ensure interventions can be delivered as appropriate.

In Years 7 - 9 we use Sparx Reader to both incentivise and track student engagement with reading on a regular basis.

We actively and continually promote frequent reading and reading for pleasure. We have a well-stocked library with an expert full-time Librarian, which is a much-used space both within lessons and at break, lunchtime and after school every day.

In Years 7 - 9, we have 2 x 30 minute sessions of BARD (Braunton Academy Reading Development) during period 6. In these sessions, tutors will read entire texts to their groups, 3 per year, and students read along with their own copy of the books. On a Wednesday, Y10 BARD Ambassadors read to year 7 and year 8 tutor groups.

The English curriculum includes a wide range of rich reading opportunities, especially in KEY Stage 3, and teaching strategies support all students to develop as readers – and, through their reading, to improve their writing.

All departments identify key Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary to explicitly teach and emphasise, to support students’ access to and precise expression within the curriculum.

All staff are encouraged to use live marking and apply the literacy policy when giving students specific feedback on SPaG.

Interventions

We employ 3 waves of intervention to support literacy development. Wave 1 is universal provision (ordinarily available provision), wave 2 is more targeted and wave 3 is specialist. See below for examples of each wave:

How to support your child’s reading skills outside of the classroom:

Read regularly: if you are a regular reader then your child is more likely to see the value in it! It doesn’t matter what it is – pick up a newspaper or magazine, take a look at a cookery book, read a computer manual, enjoy some poetry or dive into a romance or detective novel. And get your children to join in – if you’re cooking, could they read the recipe?
Visit bookshops, use suggestions in the school planner and speak to teachers if you need support with selecting books.
Create a quiet, well-lit space in your home to encourage reading.
Talk to them about what they are reading and read with them and to them.
Ask your child lots of questions. All reading matters. Shared reading is about ‘reading with’, not just ‘reading to’ (even for older children). So, ask lots of questions, such as Who? What? When? Where? Why? Try them when talking about books: for example, ‘What do you think Harry is feeling?’
Encourage children to carry a book at all times. That way, they’ll never be bored (this is something you can do, too!)
Encourage your child to read by finding reading material about their interests. Any reading that your child does is a good thing.
Ensure that they are a member of their local library.
Use audiobooks and e-books such as Kindles.
Use the Learning Lounge at school.
Establish at least 15 to 20 minutes of dedicated reading time each day.
Ensure your child leaves phones and other electronic devices away from the bedroom at night and encourage your child to end the day with reading as a way to relax.
Ask your child to make a prediction about what they have read.
Ask your child to summarise what they have read.
Maintain motivation to read: Talk about the joy of reading whenever you can! It’s one of the most important life skills!