Course Details

Centre for Educational Excellence in the North 

A Partnership between Salford Professional Development Ltd and the National Education Trust 

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Wednesday 19th June 2013, 09.30-15.00, Media CityUK

‘Teachers must demonstrate an understanding of and take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of standard English, whatever the teacher’s specialist subject.’

Teachers’ Standards 2012 

‘The teaching of reading, writing and communication is highly effective and cohesively planned and implemented across the curriculum.’

Ofsted Inspection Framework 2012  

The Coalition Government are committed to improving literacy in Secondary Schools, and back in May 2012 the Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, announced up to £10m additional support for pupil premium children who leave primary school without Level 4 literacy.

One in seven adults, as many as five million people, lack basic literacy skills.

The problem was evidenced by an Ofsted report launched in March 2012, Moving English Forward, which found that whilst in many schools English teaching is effective and pupils make good progress, standards in English are simply not high enough. There can be no more important subject than English. It is at the heart of our culture and literacy skills are crucial to pupils’ learning for all subjects. Yet too many pupils fall behind in their literacy early on. In most cases, if a child cannot read securely at seven, they struggle to catch up as they progress through their school careers. As a result, too many young adults lack the functional skills to make their way in the modern world. We are no longer a leading country in terms of our literacy performance: others are doing better.

Secondary schools need to lead the way in improving literacy standards across the UK, and ensure that they are well placed to help the one in five children who arrive at secondary school without the expected standard in reading and writing. As the bridge between primary education and the world of university and work – the presence of high standard literacy teaching across the curriculum is crucial to ensure students possess the necessary skills to reach their potential and positively contribute to society.

Literacy is fundamental to good learning and achievement. It must therefore be a top priority for all age groups. As a result of this, the Centre for Educational Excellence is delivering an intensive one day course designed to ensure high quality whole school literacy provision is in place in your school. The course provides detailed guidance on every aspect of the requirement on schools to ensure high quality literacy provision and practical strategies for delivering it.

Attendance at this course will provide you with a knowledge and skills set that you will be able to take back with you to the benefit of your school and institution, including:

• Raising whole school standards of literacy
• Embedding literacy into every lesson
• Gaining clarity on how to build an effective whole-school literacy plan
• Understanding how to engage parents to support student learning at home
• Achieving high standards of literacy in children
• Addressing the barriers to raising literacy standards
• The need for teachers to have high expectations
• The importance of the systematic teaching of phonics
• How the clear assessment of individual pupils’ progress and needs can drive improvement

Agenda

09:30  Registration and Coffee

10:00  Opening Presentation: Leading literacy in the Secondary School

• Understanding the essential components of literacy that make a difference to students’ learning
• What Ofsted is looking for in literacy
• Embedding literacy into every classroom
• Engaging staff and students to be literacy leaders
• Achieving high standards of literacy in all children
• Removing the barriers to literacy
• Creating a shared literacy vision and cross-curriculum strategy
• Giving all staff the confidence to teach literacy skills explicitly
• Embedding consistent, cross-curricular messages about reading, writing and oracy
• Making literacy an integral part of every lesson plan
• Investing in and leading the professional development of staff in the systematic teaching of phonics

10:30  Improving Literacy Levels in your School: Case Study 1

• Rising to the challenge of making literacy come alive for learners
• Using the widest curriculum to raise standards and excite interest
• Good leadership is the key to good literacy in schools
• Being passionate about high standards of literacy for every single pupil
• Creating a no-excuses culture both for pupils and for staff
• Carefully tracking every pupil’s progress in literacy, especially at transition between the Key Stages
• Structured intervention when pupils start to fall behind
• What works best in secondary schools to improve literacy across the curriculum
• Sharp assessment of progress in order to determine the most appropriate programme or support
• Carefully planned provision to meet individual needs
• Rigorous monitoring of the impact of provision
• High-quality pastoral care to support learning in literacy
• Highly effective use of time, staff and resources

12:00   Lunch

13:00  Improving Literacy Levels in your School: Case Study 2

14:30  Closing Presentation: A Look to the Future

15:00  Close

Tutor Information

David Birch is Deputy Director and leads the Trust's work with Advocacy Schools, and NET's professional development and school improvement programmes across the country.

David taught English in schools in London and Oxfordshire before becoming a secondary headteacher in Devon for 12 years. He has been a School Improvement Partner with nine schools in the South West and continues to work with schools in three local authorities as a school improvement adviser and, as a freelance consultant, works on school evaluation and improvement projects nationally. Much of his recent work has focused on leadership & management coaching in primary and secondary schools, improving teaching and learning and leadership in sixth forms, and developing the teaching of English and literacy 3 -19. He also writes and leads training courses, and is an A level English examiner and subject consultant for Ofqual.

Target Audience

The audience on the day will include: Head Teachers/teachers ; Heads of School; Directors of Education; Directors of Children’s Services; Education Consultants;  Academia; School Inspectors and all relevant job roles from across the Education Lancscape and organisations including Secondary Schools; Colleges; LEAs; Voluntary and Community Sector; Academia;  Private Sector and all those with an interest or engaged in leading literacy in the secondary school.