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LITERACY IMPACT!
Literacy Across the Curriculum:
Maintaining the Momentum
Geoff Barton
March 24, 2016
All resources can be downloaded at www.geoffbarton.co.uk
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LITERACY IMPACT!
1 Where are we with “literacy” & the Strategy?
2 Evaluating your literacy strategy: what impact have
you made so far, and how do you know?
3 What are the essentials for colleagues …
•In reading?
•In writing?
… and how will you
achieve it?
•In spelling?
•In grammatical knowledge?
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LITERACY IMPACT!
2 strands …
LITERACY
YOUR ROLE
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LITERACY IMPACT!
The approach …
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LITERACY IMPACT!
L.O.
By 3pm you should …
•Be clearer about your own role
•Know the priorities for your school
•Have learnt some useful literacy knowledge
•Be happier, wiser, and re-invigorated
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LITERACY IMPACT!
SECTION 1:
Where the heck are we?
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LITERACY IMPACT!
The story so far …
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Literacy
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and the
Strategy
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A
I
M
S
LITERACY IMPACT!
•An inclusive education
system within a culture of
high expectations
•The centrality of literacy
and numeracy across the
curriculum
•The infusion of learning
skills across the curriculum
•The promotion of
assessment for learning
•Expanding the teacher’s
range of teaching
strategies and techniques
•No child left behind
•Reinforcing the basics
•Enriching the learning
experience
•Making every child
special
•Making learning an
enjoyable experience
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LITERACY IMPACT!

•Focus and structure the teaching
•Actively engage the pupils in the
learning process
•Use assessment for learning
•Have high expectations
•Strive for well-paced teaching
•Create a settled and purposeful
atmosphere
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LITERACY IMPACT!

• gains in the Year 9 test results were modest;
• catch-up arrangements have been dogged by
the logistical problems of finding timetable space
and staff;
• dissemination in departments has been slow in
schools without consultancy support;
• the greatest impact has been in Year 7, with less
impact in Years 8 and 9;
•reinforces fragmentation.
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LITERACY IMPACT!
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Then …
•Coordinators
•Consultants
•Strands
•Overload
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Now …
•Fragmentation to cohesion
•Expectation of core teaching skills
•Emphasis on CPD
•Implication for disparate coordinators?
•Implications for school leadership?
•Supporting effect of workforce remodelling?
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LITERACY IMPACT!
From
Departmental strategies
Departmental development
National launch
Directed training
To
Whole-school strategy
School improvement
Local consolidation /
embedding
Selected training and support
KS3 IMPACT!
COHESION RATHER
THAN FRAGMENTATION
L&T STYLES
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PEDAGOGY
BEHAVIOUR
CPD
ALLOWANCES
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Implications …
• For you and your role
• Your school
• Your colleagues
Literacy strategy: The next phase
THE
NATIONAL
AGENDA
Literacy strategy: The next phase
Self-evaluation:
So where are you up to in your school?
NO
PROGRESS
0
3
5
GOOD
PROGRESS
Literacy strategy: The next phase
Headteacher
Your role
Senco
Teachers
Teaching assistants
Governors
NO
PROGRESS
0
3
5
GOOD
PROGRESS
Literacy strategy: The next phase
Key player
Head
You
SENCO
Teachers
Teaching
assistants
Governors
Progress rating
Priority
Literacy strategy: The next phase
Headteachers
In the most successful schools, headteachers and deputy headteachers have:
_ had di rect personal involv ement in the impl ementation o f the Literacy and
Numeracy St rategies;
_ worked in partnership with local schools to share good p ractice
_ given strong suppo rt for the literacy and m athematics coordinators including ,
where possibl e, providing non-contact time;
_ worked with coordinators to establish curriculum targets;
_ monito red di rectly (with colleagues in senior management teams in larger
schools) the teaching o f literacy and mathematics to gain an overview of strengths
and weaknesses, to id entify and address the continuing p rofessional development
needs of colleagues and to review the schoolΥs success in
achieving curriculum targets set.
NO
PROGRESS
0
3
5
GOOD
PROGRESS
Literacy strategy: The next phase
Literacy and Mathematics Coordinators:
_ suppo rting teachers in setting and focusing on a realistic numb er of curriculum
targets;
_ leading s chool-based training on how to judge and suppo rt progress through th e
effective us e of pl enaries in the literacy hou r and d aily mathematics lesson;
_ working with colleagues on a shared understanding o f progression in wr iting, in
the appli cation of reading skills, in mental and written calculation strategies and in
problem solving;
_ making clearer to parents school poli cies on writing and calculation.
NO
PROGRESS
0
3
5
GOOD
PROGRESS
Literacy strategy: The next phase
SENCOs:
_ suppo rting teachers build clear curriculum t argets into any addition al suppo rt
provided to individu als and groups;
_ ensuring t argets in individu al and g roup plans link closely to the objectives in the
literacy and mathematics Frameworks for teaching;
_ tracking th e progress of children with SEN in reading, wr iting, mental and
written calculation and p roblem solving;
_ showing parents key aspects of what their children are being taught and
associated resources that suppo rt children in their learning, such as writing on a
comput er screen and th e use of empty numb er lines.
NO
PROGRESS
0
3
5
GOOD
PROGRESS
Literacy strategy: The next phase
Teachers:
_ talking with children about both th e teacherΥ
s and childΥs assessment of ho w we ll
curriculum t argets are being met;
_ including in their pl anning key qu estions that will be included in lessons;
_ expl aining to children the objectives for individu al lessons and th e expectations
of their progress over each h alf-term;
_ ensuring th at homework p rovided is self-expl anatory to parents.
NO
PROGRESS
0
3
5
GOOD
PROGRESS
Literacy strategy: The next phase
Teaching assistants:
_ attending t raining on suppo rting children with particular potential barriers to
achievement and providing this suppo rt in school, including running Τcatch-upΥ
programmes;
_ providing feedback to teachers on specific misund erstandings o r strengths
children d emonstrate;
_ joining discussions with teachers about expectations of children in di fferent age
groups;
_ targeting for addition al suppo rt children who have di fficulties completing
homework.
NO
PROGRESS
0
3
5
GOOD
PROGRESS
Literacy strategy: The next phase
Governors:
_ working with the headteacher to set challenging performance targets;
_ sampling th e progress of a few particular pupils and comparing it with the
progress expected nationally;
_ monito ring and reviewing th e impact of policies to ensure progression in writing,
the appli cation of reading skills, mental and wr itten calculation strategies and
problem solving;
_ suppo rting staff by t aking opportuniti es to talk with parents about the impo rtance
of homework and ho w they can help their own children.
NO
PROGRESS
0
3
5
GOOD
PROGRESS
KS3 IMPACT!
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 Talking Point 
•What have been the successes
in your own school?
•What do you need to do next?
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LITERACY IMPACT!
SECTION 2:
(re)Motivating the key players?
Key players
Strategy manager
Working party
Headteacher
Governors
Teaching assistants
Subject leaders
Students!
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Key principles of Literacy Across the Curriculum
• Good literacy skills are a key factor in raising standards
across all subjects.
• Language is the main medium we use for teaching,
learning and developing thinking, so it is at the heart of
teaching and learning.
• Literacy is best taught as part of the subject, not as an
add-on.
• All teachers need to give explicit attention to the literacy
needed in their subject
Consistency in teaching literacy is achieved when
• Literacy skills are taught consistently and systematically
across the curriculum.
• Expectation of standards of accuracy and presentation
are similar in all classrooms.
• Teachers are equipped to deal with literacy issues in
their subject both generically and specifically.
• The same strategies are used across the school: the
teaching sequence for writing; active reading strategies;
planning speaking and listening for learning.
• Teachers use the same terminology to describe language.
Ofsted findings suggest the following
Literacy across the curriculum is good when:
• senior managers are actively involved in the planning and
monitoring.
• audits and action planning are rigorous.
• monitoring focuses on a range of approaches, e.g.
Classroom observation,
•work scrutiny as well as formal tests.
• time is given to training, its dissemination and embedding.
• schools work to identified priorities.
Focus relentlessly
on T&L
“Schools are places where the pupils go to watch the
‘Standards
areworking”
raised(John
ONLY
by changes
teachers
West-Burnham)
which
are
put
into
direct
effect
by
“For many years, attendance at school has been required
teachers
and
pupils while
in classrooms’
(for
children and
for teachers)
learning at school
has been optional.” (Stoll, Fink & East)
Black and Wiliam,
‘Inside the Black Box’
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LITERACY IMPACT!
How do you motivate a
reluctant team?
12
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LITERACY IMPACT!
1. Don’t call it literacy - call it good learning & teaching
2. Build it into lesson observation sheets
3. Build it into performance management
4. Keep it in the public eye
5. Emphasise increased student motivation
6. Talk to your Head about core skills for all teachers
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LITERACY IMPACT!
7 Show before & after models
8 Don’t focus on grammar knowledge needed by staff
9 Show it’s part of a whole-school strategy
10 Celebrate every small-scale success
11 Quote students’ feedback
12 Make it fun!
….
13 Make it non-negotiable
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Language Funnies
LITERACY FOR LEARNING
DOGS MUST
BE CARRIED
ON THE
ESCALATOR
LITERACY FOR LEARNING
Please don't
smoke and live
a more healthy
life
PSE Poster
LITERACY FOR LEARNING
Sign at Suffolk
hospital:
Criminals operate
in this area
LITERACY FOR LEARNING
ICI FIBRES
LITERACY FOR LEARNING
Churchdown parish
magazine:
‘would the congregation
please note that the bowl at
the back of the church
labelled ‘for the sick” is for
monetary donations only’
LITERACY FOR LEARNING
Why crosscurricular literacy?
LITERACY FOR LEARNING
The literacy context ...
•A 1997 survey showed that of 12 European
countries, only Poland and Ireland had lower
levels of adult literacy
•1-in-16 adults cannot identify a concert venue on
a poster that contains name of band, price, date,
time and venue
•7 million UK adults cannot locate the page
reference for plumbers in the Yellow Pages
BBC NEWS ONLINE:
More than half of British
motorists cannot interpret
road signs properly, according
to a survey by the Royal
Automobile Club.
The survey of 500 motorists conducted to mark the 70th
anniversary of the publication
of the Highway Code highlighted just how many
people are still grappling with
it.
According to the
survey, three in
five motorists
thought a "be
aware of cattle"
warning sign
indicated …
an area
infected
with footand-mouth
disease.
Common mistakes
•No motor vehicles Beware of fast motorbikes
•Wild fowl - Puddles in
the road
•Riding school close
by - "Marlborough
country" advert
LITERACY FOR LEARNING
•“Every teacher in English is a teacher of English”
(George Sampson, 1922)
•Build it into lesson observation sheets and
performance management
•It’s a process, not expertise - eg writing and spelling
Literacy strategy: The next phase
STARTING-POINTS TO INCREASE MOTIVATION &
MOMENTUM
What’s your Head’s current involvement? How seriously
is s/he taking whole-school literacy? What 1 or 2 messages
should you be taking back?
Do you have a literacy working-party? What have they
achieved? What impact have they made? What’s their
future?
What about your own role? How successful have you
been? Has classroom practice at your school developed?
What will be your next steps?
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Key points for motivating the team:
Differentiate: different people have different needs
Embed: make it part of school processes - PM,
reviews, observation
Know your enemy: work with key players
Keep it simple: in schools we tend to over-complicate
KS3 IMPACT!
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 Talking Point 
•What have been the successes
in your own school?
•What do you need to do next?
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LITERACY IMPACT!
SECTION 3:
Evaluating and planning
(“We should measure what we value, not value what
we measure” John MacBeath)
Staff …
Since September …
1 (low/poor)
2
3
4
(high/good)
1 How would you rate the
performan ce of our computer
system?
2
2
18
32
56
46
24
20
2 How helpful has the ICT Support
Team been?
2
3
6
12
37
38
55
47
3 How well have we managed
cover?
0
2
30
13
45
50
25
35
4 How would you rate student
behaviour ?
2
3
11
9
78
78
9
10
5 How visible has the leadership
team been?
7
12
29
23
46
43
18
22
6 How would you rate Geoff
Barton’s leadership ?
0
5
15
66
46
29
39
Yes
7 Has a member of the lead ership
team visited your tutor group?
8 Has a member of the lead ership
team visited one of your lessons?
9 Are expectations on uniform
clear?
10 Are our expectations about
behaviour clear?
11 Do you find Monday staff
briefings useful?
12 Do you find the Barton Bulletin
useful?
13 Do you find the weekly bulletin
useful?
14 Do you feel well informed about
things that are happening i n school?
15 Do you agree about doing mock
exams in classrooms next year?
No
86
79
59
64
91
87
93
92
97
94
96
14
21
41
36
9
13
7
8
3
6
4
98
2
98
79
76
2
21
24
TUTOR GROUP:
Do all students have
coats off?
Are students wearing
proper school
sweatshirt/polo
shir t?
Are all students
wearing shoes (ie no
trainers except with
doctors’ notes)?
Is jewellery
acceptable (ie no
facial piercings, n o
bracelets, o nly thi n
metal necklaces)?
Is the tuto r …
Talking t o students?
Signing planners?
Taking the register?
Doing admin?
Other?
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
Student …
1 Do you enjoy being at school?
Never
13
Rarely
25
Mostly
53
Always
9
Never
10
Rarely
18
Mostly
67
Always
5
3 Do you thi nk behaviour here is good?
Yes
69
No
31
4 Are our expectations about behaviour clear?
Yes
86
No
14
5 Are our expectations about uniform clear?
Yes
78
No
22
6 Do you feel you are treated wit h respect?
Yes
65
No
35
7 Do we give enough p raise and encouragement?
Yes
49
No
51
Yes
74
No
26
2 Do you feel proud of being at this
school?
ame
Book sampling…
Year /
Set
Teacher
Cover
clean
YN
Homework
evident
YN
Homework
marked
YN
Presentation
GFP
Types of writing
Els om
TORY
9
WD
Y
Y
Y
G



Robotham
TORY
9
WD
Y
Y
Y
G



Thinking
Notes
Extended
ey Ward?
RAPHY
9
YE
Y
Y
Y
G


Notes
Exer cises



Notes
Exer cises
Some extended
work
Simpson
RAPHY
9
HS
Y
Y
Not
consistently
G
Thinking
Notes
Extended
General comments
Clearly sequenced,
challenging, high-level;
exemplary feedback Π
positive, precise, personal
V diffe rent ability of
student Πbut same strong
expectations; tangible
progress in studentΥs
work; supportive, positive
marking
Good positive feedback;
evidence of regular
marking ; good range of
writing
Clear and well-used
overall; good to note some
extend worrk; marking
appears to end in late Sept
1 What grade did you get in Engli sh?

Engli sh Literature?

2 Think of all the subjects you studied last year. Circle one of the numbers below to show
where you would place Engli sh in a rank order of the subjects you studied
1 (high) 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 (low)
3 Without nami ng t eachers, please name ONE thing you li ked most about Engli sh lessons
4 Without nami ng t eachers, please name ONE thing you li ked least about them
5 Looking back, how did you feel about your usua l group for Engli sh for Ι
(a) ge tting o n with other people?
(li ked it a lot) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (liked it a little)
(b) learning effectively ?
(li ked it a lot) 1 2 3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10 (liked it a little)
Of all the ways the teacher gets you to learn about things which do you enjoy the most?







Activities Π not writin g, nothing intimidating. More d iscussion, needs to be variety (maths now =
all fro m books)
Biology = copy from board Π donΥt even read it
VA Ki in French to analyse own learning
If teachers drone on = some of us donΥt have the attention span
Unfairness abo ut time given to complete cours ework ie some = meet deadlines. Oth ers = 3 months
late so hav e extra 3 months to work on it
Too many tests in short space of time
Would help if dif ferent subject teachers could talk to each other so we do not get all coursework
assignments at the same time.
Of all the ways the teacher gets you to learn about things, which do you enjoy least?



Vag ue questions that you donΥt know what it means
I think we should b e setted for English be cause it cou ld be more challenging too lon g on one pie ce
of work would be helpful , disruptive people were in difficult group
Humanities Π go round and round in circles because
donΥt have specialist teachers. Spend time
trying to mana ge behaviour
Student perception inte rviews
Year 9
4 girls
4 boys
Sets: 1 4 2 3 1 3 2
Rank order: 8 7 3 3 9 3 10 3
What d o you like about MFL lessons? What activities do you enjoy ? Why?
 Fun, li ke ICT interactive whiteboard, playing games, practical and group work
What activ ities do you not enjoy? Why ? Wha t do you find difficult? Wha t wou ld help?
 Tests Π some are useful and some are not
 Practical lessons are good
 DonΥt li ke teachers constantly talking in French. I get behind and de-motivated
 DonΥt li ke having to speak in front of the class Π feel under pressure and worried
 Panic when asked to speak and donΥt know how
How do yo u learn best? Wha t helps you learn in other lessons?
 Objectives are sometimes set Π but doesnΥt make any diff erence
 I li ke to have some group work and some formal writing
 Reinforcing the talking with writing rather than just talking and then moving o n and talking
some more
 Group work
 Games
 When behaviour is good. Behaviour is good in languages
How do yo u feel during MFL lessons? What makes you feel this way?
- Bored Π 1 student
- Interested Π 1 student
- Enjoy Π1 student
- Tired Π1 student
- DonΥt know Π4 students
Consensus from interviews - languag es is okΣ but not a subject which students would wish to
choose to t ake further. Group consensus that about 30% of the lessons are enjoyable. Most students
preferred languages in the Middle School Π more practical, games, etc
KS3 IMPACT!
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 Talking Point 
•What evaluation have you
done?
•What could you do next?
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Summary:
•Know your role - not a paper-chase
•Re-think your working party
•Identify key players
•Identify simple literacy priorities
•Tailored training, not blanket coverage
•Know how you will evaluate their success
•Build into school systems
Literacy strategy: The next phase
IMPACT!
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LITERACY IMPACT!
Literacy Across the Curriculum:
Maintaining the Momentum
Geoff Barton
March 24, 2016
All resources can be downloaded at www.geoffbarton.co.uk