Literacy
At Shirebrook Academy, we believe that the teaching of literacy is the responsibility of all staff working at our academy. We are all teachers of literacy and place this at the forefront of our teaching.
Raising aspirations and improving the literacy levels of all students is at the centre of our Mission Statement. We aim to provide all students with an effective and enjoyable literacy learning experience, ensuring that no child is left behind and that they have the competent literacy skills to help them succeed in life.
Shirebrook Academy follows a cross-curricular literacy methodology which ensures that staff are unified in their approach in teaching core literacy skills including reading and writing.
We test all Key Stage 3 students’ Reading Ages twice a year by using an adaptive computer-based NGRT assessment. Students are then placed into Reading Stanine groups and intervention, support and challenge provided as needed; this is part of the ACET Trust’s Reading Pathway, and the aim is that all secondary aged children will achieve at least their chronological reading age by the end of Key Stage 3.
Students in Stanines 1 and 2 are supported via the FreshStart Phonics intervention programme and are given 1-2-1 reading support; with students in Stanines 2, 3 and 4, following either the computer-based Comprehension programmes Reading Plus and Reading Wise in their reading lesson or RapidPlus in intervention groups.
Students placed in Stanines 5-9 are provided with accessible, but challenging, reading material within all curriculum areas and via the class reads studied in their English reading lessons. The Olympic Reader and ACET Children's Book Award programmes help to motivate students with high reading ages by providing inspirational reading texts and the opportunity to be involved in a reading competition with other students in schools across the trust.
Furthermore, we also offer calendared specialist weeks and celebratory events linked to national and international literacy events, and students are provided with a wide range of literacy experiences to enhance their cultural and social capital. This provides additional opportunities for all students to develop a passion for reading and literacy in general.
At Shirebrook Academy, we have a comprehensive programme of reading activities and resources to encourage, develop and build upon students’ enthusiasm for reading. Shirebrook Academy learners are readers and we aim to develop our students' love of reading so that they leave us with a reading interest and pleasure that continues into their future lives.
Useful Website Links - Literacy and Reading