Literacy

At Pontefract Academies Trust, our aim is to develop strong literacy skills in every student. Through comprehensive strategies and training, we promote reading, writing, and oracy across all subjects.

As a school, one of our key priorities is to improve the literacy of students, which in turn, will promote their love of reading for pleasure. Research indicates that there is a strong correlation between high literacy levels and academic achievement. Through comprehensive strategies and training, we promote reading, writing, and oracy across all subjects. Our Literacy Strategy creates opportunities where:

• Every child leaves our school confident and articulate lifelong readers, capable of expressing themselves effectively in writing and speaking with clarity, fluency, and enthusiasm.
• Students are able to navigate the rapidly changing opportunities and challenges of the future.

To achieve our literacy goals, there are robust systems to monitor and review students' progress, and we provide a range of intervention strategies to target students and groups. The literacy experiences and outcomes at Carleton High School promote the development of critical and creative thinking as well as competence in listening and talking, reading, writing and the personal and team-working skills which are so important in life and the world of work.

Through the form time curriculum, students read a range of texts that focus on the personal development of our students. Weekly, students discuss an article creating opportunity to develop their understanding of the world, alongside developing their oracy and ability to articulate with confidence.

Within the curriculum, there are planned and purposeful opportunities for reading around the topic. To further promote reading for pleasure and encourage students to become life long readers, each subject hosts a recommended reading list to further students’ love of the subject beyond the classroom.

Reading Plus aims to develop comprehension and efficiency in reading and adapts to offer support and texts that are appropriate for the reading level of each individual learner. The bespoke package develops silent reading fluency (reading speed), then introducing more complex stories (for comprehension), and advanced vocabulary (for knowledge).

Please click here to access Reading Plus.

Fresh Start develops student reading trough a systematic phonics programme. Fresh Start engages students with high-interest, age-appropriate reading materials and accelerates students’ progress.

Accelerated Reading is accessed by KS3 students, both in school and at home, where they have access to a wide range of resources and texts. Students across school are actively encouraged to read for pleasure and fulfilment with access to our wonderful school library and co-curricular reading club.

Please click here to access Accelerated Reader.