Literacy Programmes
As a Humanities College we believe that each and every student should leave our school with the ability to communicate effectively. The ability to read and write fluently is essential if our young people are going to become successful in life and continue to learn beyond the school gates.
At The Stanway School we believe that every teacher has a role to play in strengthening students’ literacy skills. Students are encouraged to develop their writing skills in all lessons in a variety of contexts; this can include writing to persuade, inform or describe.
For students who need a little extra support with their literacy, the Learning Support Department delivers Literacy Catch-up sessions, twice a week during morning registration. Students work with a Learning Support Assistant on their basic literacy skills, including punctuation, grammar and reading. Last term we also held a ‘Learning Literacy Matters’ evening where parents worked with members of our English and Learning Support Departments on how they could help their children with their reading, writing and spellings.
The Stanway School is a reading school. Each week students in the Lower School will spend one lesson reading a book of their choice. At the centre of the school is our Learning Resource Centre which has an extensive range of books to suit all tastes, from Jacqueline Wilson to James Patterson. To support those students who need a little more help, we have a large number of Reading Coaches who meet students regularly in order to listen to them read. There are also a number of reading events throughout the year to raise the profile of reading and to encourage students to read for fun. Past events include staff dressing up for World Book Day; students solving a murder through carrying out research in the library, and students participating in the Essex Book Award – the student version of the Booker Prize.
In September 2009 we launched our very first Adult Learning Course for parents who wanted to find out about how to help their child with their literacy skills. This weekly course, delivered by Essex County Council’s Community Learning Team, has been a real hit with parents who have told us that they feel more confident and able to help their children with their English homework. (One or two have even said that they have learnt new skills and rekindled their love for learning.)
The Stanway School remains committed to developing students’ key literacy skills as these are essential for our young people to be successful in the world of work and for them to be independent learners.
At The Stanway School we believe that every teacher has a role to play in strengthening students’ literacy skills. Students are encouraged to develop their writing skills in all lessons in a variety of contexts; this can include writing to persuade, inform or describe.
For students who need a little extra support with their literacy, the Learning Support Department delivers Literacy Catch-up sessions, twice a week during morning registration. Students work with a Learning Support Assistant on their basic literacy skills, including punctuation, grammar and reading. Last term we also held a ‘Learning Literacy Matters’ evening where parents worked with members of our English and Learning Support Departments on how they could help their children with their reading, writing and spellings.
The Stanway School is a reading school. Each week students in the Lower School will spend one lesson reading a book of their choice. At the centre of the school is our Learning Resource Centre which has an extensive range of books to suit all tastes, from Jacqueline Wilson to James Patterson. To support those students who need a little more help, we have a large number of Reading Coaches who meet students regularly in order to listen to them read. There are also a number of reading events throughout the year to raise the profile of reading and to encourage students to read for fun. Past events include staff dressing up for World Book Day; students solving a murder through carrying out research in the library, and students participating in the Essex Book Award – the student version of the Booker Prize.
In September 2009 we launched our very first Adult Learning Course for parents who wanted to find out about how to help their child with their literacy skills. This weekly course, delivered by Essex County Council’s Community Learning Team, has been a real hit with parents who have told us that they feel more confident and able to help their children with their English homework. (One or two have even said that they have learnt new skills and rekindled their love for learning.)
The Stanway School remains committed to developing students’ key literacy skills as these are essential for our young people to be successful in the world of work and for them to be independent learners.