Learning environment audit
School area audited
Foundation–Nursery
Foundation –
Reception
Year 1
Display - general
Resources for
teaching literacy
Teaching/learning
prompts and support
Classroom
organisation
Children’s perspective
School area audited
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Display - general
Resources for
teaching literacy
Teaching/learning
prompts and support
Classroom
organisation
Children’s perspective
School area audited
Year 5
Year 6
‘Public’ areas
Display - general
Resources for teaching
literacy
Teaching/learning
prompts and support
Classroom
organisation
Children’s
perspective
Creating an effective learning environment
School literacy audit
Class ……………. Year group …………………. Date of audit ………………………. Carried out by ………………….
Key question: How does this classroom environment support the teaching and learning of literacy?
N.B these prompts are generic. They will need to be adapted to be more precise and specific, according to year group/phase and
according to school context and priorities.
Area of focus
The role play area provides stimulating and
worthwhile literacy tasks, with relevant prompts and
support to enable children to access the planned
reading and writing opportunities.
There is an attractive and inviting book area, which
includes interactive displays, with named
‘book/author of the week’; book reviews, group and
class anthologies; puppets and story sacks; a
listening centre and tapes.
There is a wide and relevant collection of reading
materials, which is well cared for and accessible and
includes fiction and non-fiction, poetry and plays,
dual language texts and tapes.
The book area includes prompt and reminders on
how to access texts and how to use a range of
reading strategies.
An informal display/folder invites children to write
brief responses to texts they have read, advise
others on choice of author, and so on.
There are good models of a range of writing around
the room in English and other languages. Notice
boards and other informal communication areas
invite children to read and write for specific and
relevant purposes.
Yes/No
Comments
A writing table offers opportunities for children to use a
range of writing implements and materials for a variety
of purposes. Dual language use is encouraged.
Notes, diagrams, labels and other prompts remind
children of the writing process: oral rehearsal, planning,
drafting, re-reading, etc.
There are accessible prompts and check-lists to
support the organisation and structure of writing –f or
example, table-top laminated story openings; bland
storyboards and writing frames to aid planning and
drafting; connectives and conjunctions used for specific
effects in report writing or explanations.
Cross-curricular displays reinforce particular structures
for writing –for specific purposes and for specific text
types.
Vocabulary is enhanced and developed through
display, labelling, key words, cross-curricular topic
vocabulary and a bank of favourite words and phrases.
This bank may be computer-based, a wall display a
scrap-book or a group or individual collection.
Displays encourage children to think about the history
of words and how words in other languages relate to
English.
Spelling is supported in a number of ways around the
classroom: ‘family’ spelling patterns are displayed, a
magnetic board and letters for ‘have a go’ attempts at
spelling, phoneme frames, word walls and topic
vocabulary for example.
There are explicit and accessible reminders of different
spelling strategies children can use to improve their
spelling.
Interactive displays inviting children to experiment with
trying out spelling strategies; using different spellings
for the same sound, use of prefixes and suffixes,
syllabification.
There is a range of suitable dictionaries, glossaries,
thesaurus, alphabet strips in the classroom.
Children are aware of the teaching and learning
prompts around the room and know how to access
them appropriately and independently.
Children have a real sense of reading and writing as
essential means of communication.
Children further their learning by actively engaging with
the prompts and displays, adding to them and
developing them as progressive and cumulative
support systems.