Best practice in the reading and writing of pupils aged 7 to 14 ... - Estyn

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Case study 12BackgroundIn a secondary school, staff had identified about 30 more-able and talented pupils inkey stage 3.StrategyThe English department decided to form a group for more-able and talented pupils.The group, comprising similar numbers of boys and girls in key stage 3, meets withthe head of department weekly. Pupils have a very challenging reading list to guidetheir personal reading and about half this group attend writing workshops at TyNewydd, the National Writers’ Centre for Wales in north Wales, to work withprofessional writers. These pupils have formed a writing club and email their work toeach other. They meet to discuss their reading and writing and recommend books toeach other.OutcomeYear 8 pupils from this group reached the final of the World Literature Quiz. Theywere the only pupils from a maintained school in Wales to do so.Meeting the needs of pupils for whom English is an additional languageCase study 13BackgroundIn one large secondary school, there are over 50 pupils with EAL in key stage 3. Thehead of learning support uses a carefully staged model of language acquisition toassess pupils’ linguistic ability in English when they arrive in the school. Partnerprimary schools use a similar assessment model and pass on information aboutpupils with EAL when they change schools. There are five stages of languageacquisition in each of the following strands:• speaking and listening;• accessing information;• reading and understanding; and• writing.StrategyAn initial assessment of each pupil is used to plan work at an appropriate level inlanguage and in all other subjects. This information also provides a baseline tomeasure pupils’ language development every half term. Staff have guidance foreach of the five strands in how to develop a range of skills, for example, inreading – initial reading skills, fluency, expression, understanding and inferringmeaning, and, in writing – spelling, vocabulary, fluency, punctuation, styles of writing,use of language and organisation.
OutcomeThroughout the school, all staff understand the different stages of languageacquisition, which helps them to support pupils. Pupils who make less progress thanothers are given additional help to catch up with their peers. As a result, pupils withEAL make good progress and go on to gain a range of qualifications in key stage 4.Effective use of the school libraryCase study 14BackgroundIn a high performing secondary school, all pupils in Year 7 are encouraged to read adiverse and challenging range of books, trying out new authors and genrespreviously unfamiliar to them.StrategyA reading group (voluntary and open to all) meets regularly in the school library.Members of the reading group receive a 'champion reader' certificate and small prize.There is a book token for the pupil who has read the widest and most challengingrange of books and displayed ‘passion’ for reading.OutcomeThe reading group is very popular and this work has created a school community ofreaders who enjoy talking about books. The quality of pupils’ writing has beeninfluenced and improved by their wider reading.Improving transition between primary and secondary schoolsCase study 15BackgroundThe head of the English department of a secondary school wanted to improvecontinuity and progression in curriculum planning between key stages 2 and 3. Sheknew that all of the partner primary schools used the same scheme of work producedby the local authority.StrategyStaff agreed to plan the key stage 3 curriculum to the same format as the primaryscheme of work. This planning was organised around seven different types of textand included work at text, sentence and word levels.OutcomeBy drawing on the work pupils studied in key stage 2, the head of departmentensured better continuity in pupils’ learning as they transferred to the secondaryschool. In the secondary school, English teachers developed a keenerunderstanding of the range of texts pupils studied in key stage 2, for example, thework of Shakespeare. The department then introduced texts that are morechallenging at an earlier stage. As a result, pupils’ transition in literacy from keystage 2 to 3 is very good and they undertake work that is progressively moredemanding. This approach helps pupils to achieve high standards.
Page 3: ContentsPageIntroduction 1Backgroun
Page 6 and 7: BackgroundBest practice in the read
Page 8 and 9: Best practice in the reading and wr
Page 10 and 11: Teaching and assessmentBest practic
Page 12 and 13: RecommendationsBest practice in the
Page 18 and 19: Curriculum planningBest practice in
Page 22 and 23: 64 Spelling improves when pupils:Be
Page 37 and 38: Planning for developing pupils’ c
Page 39 and 40: Case study 6BackgroundIn a Welsh-me
Page 41: OutcomeThe programme helps to secur
Page 45 and 46: Well-qualified learning staff, incl
Page 47 and 48: Appendix 2: Questions for leaders a
Page 49 and 50: Developing the communication skills
Page 51 and 52: Teaching writing• Is writing taug
Page 53 and 54: • Do staff make comments on pupil
Page 55 and 56: • What kind of writing tasks are
Page 57 and 58: • Do staff with leadership respon
Page 59 and 60: Appendix 3: Standards of achievemen
Page 61 and 62: Table 4Key stage 1: The percentage
Page 63: Table 8Percentage of pupils achievi

Best practice in the reading and writing of pupils aged 7 to 14 ... - Estyn

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