LITERACY
At Woodchurch High School, our philosophy on literacy is captured in the following quotation by george sampson: “all teachers are teachers of English because every teacher is a teacher in English.”
As such, effective literacy, including oracy, is one of our Essential Learning Principles and is implicit and explicit in many more. We are committed to developing literacy skills in all of our pupils, and modelling these for them. We believe that it will support their learning and raise standards across the curriculum because pupils who attain grades 9-5 in English are three times more likely to achieve grades 9-5 in five or more other subjects.
pupils need vocabulary, expression and organisational control to cope with the cognitive demands of subjects
reading helps us to learn from sources beyond our immediate experience
writing helps us to sustain and order thought
language helps us to reflect, revise and evaluate the things we do, and on the things others have said, written or done
responding to big questions encourages the development of thinking skills and enquiry
improving literacy and learning can have an impact on pupils’ self-esteem, on motivation and behaviour it allows them to learn independently and this is empowering for a learner
a reading strategy (informed by KS2 transition) and appropriate intervention programmes for pupils who require support
six key whole-school literacy focuses, which represent the six key barriers to success as presented by our pupils
bespoke support for Subject Areas which require pupils to produce developed responses
a vocabulary and oracy strategy, which includes whole school promotion of V.C.O.P and SHAPE
a personal Literacy Book, which targets the six key focuses, the format for non-fiction writing, spelling and reading strategies, a SPAG and Oracy PLC and a section dedicated to vocabulary development