Literacy
Literacy and the reading curriculum.
Bramhall High School prioritises literacy and reading and the benefits this can have on young people. All subjects deliver ‘disciplinary literacy’ and we endeavour to follow the recommendations from the EEF’s ‘Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools’. All teachers within the school are teachers of literacy and the reading curriculum and staff will develop students’ vocabulary as well as conduct literacy marking within their own curriculum area. Secure reading and comprehension skills enable students to access the full curriculum and to be successful in their academic endeavours. Reading for pleasure is also important as this adds to the holistic benefits to young people, including their cultural capital and their wellbeing.
All students have a baseline test in reading and comprehension on ‘Literacy Assessment Online’ in September/October and this gives staff a clear line of sight on students who require targeted support and intervention. Students then complete a follow up assessment in the Summer Term, so progress can be measured.
All students in Year 7 participate in structured reading lessons, led by their English teacher once per fortnight. Students have these lessons within the LRC (Learning Resource Centre), our school library. The LRC manager organises author visits and promotes reading via workshops and competitions.
The school has a range of targeted interventions that all students are supported with. These are aimed at different levels. They are:
- Lexonic Leap (standardised reading score of less than 85)
- Lexonic Advance (standardised reading score of 85-115)
- Reading Partnership Programme
- Guided Reading
Students also complete a WRAT5 diagnostic test prior to starting the Lexonic programme to see which areas (e.g. phonics) they need to work on. Although all students will experience the benefits of the Lexonic programme at some point within their school career, we prioritise the students in the bottom 20% of readers in the first instance. The school also uses other online packages which develop the literacy and reading skills of our young people.