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Achievement for All ST JOSEPH S BOYS SCHOOL LITERACY POLICY Reviewed _______________ Date ___________ Agreed SMT _______________ Principal Date ___________ Agreed BOG _______________ Date ___________

St Joseph s Boys School Achievement for All Literacy Policy Rational We aim to provide a supportive stimulating and secure environment where pupils are encouraged to express themselves and where their contributions are valued We will provide for the language development of pupils and will develop their ability to use language to think to explore and to recognise and communicate their ideas Principles Being literate is a right for all pupils the development of literacy is the responsibility of all teachers and all areas of the curriculum have an important contribution to make to the development of literacy Aims Our aim is to raise the standard of literacy and to enable pupils to express and communicate meaning in spoken language listening to and interpreting what others say and matching style and response to audience context and purpose We provide pupils with a range of relevant and purposeful opportunities to develop their ability to read understand and engage with various types of text for enjoyment and learning We also enable pupils to communicate using written language effectively making and shaping text appropriately according to context purpose reader or audience Mission Statement Achievement for All At St Joseph s we promote the ideal of Achievement for all through every aspect of school life In doing so we hope that each pupil can contribute in a meaningful way to society and be prepared and ready to undertake a fulfilling and rewarding role in life To help us achieve this aim the school seeks to create a Catholic community in which understanding and tolerance flourish where each individual is seen as unique and where respect is shown for a diversity of opinions and view points

Role of the Teacher In the teaching of literacy the teacher fulfils a number of roles in all modes of language Model as a skilled user of language the teacher s role is the central element in fostering positive attitudes towards literacy Facilitator providing a supportive and stimulating environment organising purposeful activities and enabling children to develop literacy skills Initiator providing a variety of resources and opportunities for a wide range of balanced activities to encourage the development of skills in talking listening reading and writing Monitor observing and recording the development of skills in literacy Assessor evaluating and assessing the development of skills in literacy Talking and Listening Rational Talking and listening are fundamental skills upon which the educational development of our pupils depends Through the development of oral and aural skills they learn about language and this equips them to demonstrate and refine their learning Our overall aim is for our pupils to become efficient language users This will be achieved by devoting time energy and resources to the development of oral communication Through purposeful interaction with teachers pupils will be provided with experiences that develop their skills and their thinking Classroom environment We will work to ensure the classroom environment is one in which pupils feel relaxed accepted and affirmed Talk is planned for and all pupil contributions are valued Pupils understand that talk is work Teaching approaches and organisation of learning Our approach will emphasise The need for planning for talk in all areas of the curriculum The provision of experiences and activities to promote a wide range of types of talk The value you place on Talking and Listening for social communicative and cognitive purposes Classroom organisation and management eg use of pairs small and large groups varying composition of groups varying roles in groups The teacher s role in modelling oral language The use of resources and display eg talk board interest tables tape recorders book displays television and radio computer software The link with reading and writing

Reading Rationale Our aims are that our pupils will learn to read will enjoy a wide variety of texts and will become independent critical life long readers and learners Classroom environment We will work to ensure that We make the classroom school a place where reading is given its rightful importance and where boys feel inspired to read We display books in both the class and the school library A range of texts is available for the pupils and there is a balance of fiction and non fiction The school library is made attractive to children books magazines leaflets CD Rom posters etc Pupil work is displayed to full advantage Teaching approaches and organisation of learning We will work to promote The regular reading to pupils in all classes The paired reading with peers or an adult The development of phonological awareness Phonics teaching The language experience combining writing and reading The modelling of reading strategies Guided reading in small groups Shared reading with Big Books and enlarged texts The uninterrupted sustained silent reading USSR Year 8 and year 9 after lunch The visits from librarian Year 8 library period The group novel study in KS3 The dissemination of Reading Recovery strategies

Progression Additional Strategies include Reading Partnership Programme This could be characterised as a Wave 2 intervention under the terms of Every School A Good School Pupils will be identified from the CATs scores as underachieving and this programme will strive to improve pupil attainment in literacy Gains will be measured after 10 weeks of focused intervention Linguistic phonics training for pupils will complement the Reading Partnership Escape Project Triax Graduates of the Reading Partnership Programme will undertake further intervention from Escape This is a funded group in the city whose purpose is to tackle poor literacy attainment in disadvantaged areas Once again this is a ten week programme 2 hours after school each week This is organised in conjunction with Derry City Football Club as a vehicle to motivate young people to improve their own literacy attainment There is also a substantial element of ICT It is anticipated that such focused and sustained tuition in Wave 2 will allow these pupils to return to the classroom with substantial gains and with the confidence and ability to access the whole curriculum Writing Rationale Writing is an essential tool in the learning process Pupils write to express their emotions to convey their thoughts and opinions and to present evidence of research By developing these skills we will equip our pupils to use writing across the range of curricular activities in which they are involved Our aim is that our pupils will develop the ability to write effectively in various forms according to purpose and audience Classroom Environment We strive to ensure a stimulating environment where pupils are encouraged and inspired to write Ensure there are stimuli such as dictionaries thesauri word banks and wall lists Ensure there are displays of writing by pupils themselves

Teaching approaches and organisation of learning We strive to ensure that There are examples of various forms of writing displayed and discussed so that pupils become familiar with the structure and language features of these forms eg letters diaries lists invitations notes etc A range of audiences are provided so that pupils write for themselves their peers the school and the wider community at times The purpose of the writing is made clear to pupils before they begin identifying success criteria in lessons Teachers show pupils how to approach a writing task by writing themselves explaining what they are doing as they go along modelled writing or by scribing the children s ideas onto large sheets shared writing Writing sessions include time for discussion and planning At the appropriate stage pupils are encouraged to revise and redraft Pupils engage in collaborative writing in small groups from time to time Parental involvement We believe that if our pupils are to improve literacy levels it is critical that parents become more actively involved This will be done through homework diaries reading reports parents evenings induction etc Parents will be invited to the school to be informed of any literacy initiatives that their son is involved in reading partnership Assessment Pupils are regularly assessed and the school has a plethora of data which is used for effective intervention CATs Reading test spelling test dyslexia screener and stanines are used effectively to identify underachieving pupils Time will be provided for formal and informal staff discussion and meetings to ensure assessment informs progress and future development including further strategies Monitoring and Evaluating Every teacher is responsible for monitoring and evaluating pupils achievements in literacy Heads of Departments will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the teaching approaches used Pupil progress is ensured and monitored through book scoops regular assessment departmental meetings pupil self evaluation interviews with pupils about their work The co ordinator will monitor literacy throughout the school This will take the form of perusing displays or samples of work staff discussion of progression within classes between classes and over time It will involve children s self evaluation talking to children about their work staff development and training The literacy coordinator will also liaise with the SENCO and HoD English to identify pupils for

Wave 2 intervention and is responsible for monitoring pupil performance when intervention has ceased Extra Curricular Activities The after school homework club is promoted as an excellent way in which pupils can enhance their literacy skills This is located in the Library and ICT rooms each afternoon Monday Thursday from 3 10 to 5 00p m The club is well resourced and staffed with Classroom Assistants Regular attendance instils a very positive work ethic and a love of learning At the Year 8 Induction Evening the importance of the Homework Club is highlighted to parents A highly successful film club is also operating in the school every Tuesday afternoon with pupils involved in online reviews of films on a regular basis A summer numeracy and literacy scheme is available to Year 8 pupils This is designed to smooth the transition from primary to secondary school and to provide a very positive introduction to St Joseph s The objectives are improvement in pupil literacy numeracy and attitudes to learning and school Many aspects of literacy and numeracy are addressed but the key words for delivering them are enjoyment active and practical The themes are interpreted broadly and subjected to imaginative development within the context of the Revised Curriculum A subject specialist is co opted from almost every department within the school and this is reflected in the range of activities offered to the pupils A detailed evaluation on the impact of the scheme is available Monitoring and Review of Policy This policy will be reviewed biannually with appropriate consultation and presented to Board of Governors as required Date ____________________ Signature _____________________________