Areas of Learning: Literacy

Literacy at Withernsea Junior School

Literacy is a key skill and is a focus of great importance for us at Withernsea Junior School.

Lessons are daily with specific skills being taught as well as practising those skills in other lessons.

We follow the National Primary Strategy plans for each year group. These can be seen at

http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/primaryframework/literacyframework

Each Year group follows work from these frameworks based around narrative, poetry and non fiction each year.

We have pupil target booklets to focus on developing writing which are part of our website.

Work is carefully differentiated for each pupil so pupils work at the level best for them and to develop their skills. This means not all pupils work at age related expectations some will be challenged to work above, and others supported working below expectations.

We have prepared a Parental Reading Guide which is also included on this website. We are in the process of preparing a parental writing guide which should be ready shortly.

Pupils are taught handwriting, spelling and phonics as discrete skills.

All teachers are responsible for the literacy in their classroom. However we also have a literacy team comprised of  Mrs Bagnell and Miss Ward to lead this subject in school, also ensure we have the right resources and a consistent approach to teaching and learning.

Every year we evaluate literacy, we observe literacy lessons being taught by all teachers, look at how the teachers plan the subject, look at teacher assessment and we ask the children about their lessons for their thoughts and ideas.

Using all this information we prepare an annual action plan to develop the subject. Our current focus is on developing the writing skills of our pupils. These skills seem to be developing more slowly than their reading skills and progress is slower. We are looking at effective teaching and learning techniques to develop our writing skills. We have also increased opportunities for pupils to write and practise their developing skills.

                    YEAR 3 READING TARGETS

                    YEAR 4 READING TARGETS

                    YEAR 5 READING TARGETS

                    YEAR 6 READING TARGETS