Literacy

Intent

At The Sky Academy, we have designed our English curriculum with the intent that all pupils, regardless of background, will become fluent, insightful readers and technically skilled, creative writers. Our pupils will engage with a range of genres and develop their understanding of fiction and non-fiction styles. Furthermore, we have developed a curriculum that will instil, in all pupils, a love of reading and writing that we hope will stay with them for life. We understand that a good grasp of English is the bedrock of the entire curriculum and that children who are confident and adept readers and writers will be empowered to succeed in all other areas.

Literacy at The Sky Academy has to captivate and spark the imagination for learners who have significant gaps in their learning and knowledge. It must be a rich experience of reading, speaking, listening, and use multimedia experiences to engage and assist learners to make the leap from abstract ideas to concrete meanings.

We aim to deliver a curriculum that:

• develops a love of reading and writing, in all pupils.
• nurtures, in all pupils, the ability to express themselves clearly, verbally and in writing; to develop their word choice when speaking and to encourage accurate grammar when speaking in order to aid self-expression.
• allows pupils to comprehend and critique what they read, and to write creatively and accurately regardless of genre or topic.
• encourage pupils to be reflective, motivated, and resilient learners.
• offers a rich variety of experiences, inside and outside of the classroom.
• exposes all pupils to a wide range of high-quality texts that explore different styles, plots, tones, and cover many diverse authors and characters.

Implementation

At The Sky Academy, we understand that our pupils all have individual learning journeys. We aim to deliver a personalised learning journey that allows all pupils to thrive.

Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 literacy will focus on developing confidence and enjoyment in reading and writing. Key Stage 4 literacy will focus on preparation for examinations, either Functional Skills or GCSE, depending on the individual pathway of each young person. Pupils will be supported in phonics, where appropriate. Pupils will have a rich literacy experience, which is accessible and exciting, to engage learners and support them in overcoming gaps in learning.

All planning will be informed by two fundamental, complementary tenets: 1) to develop technical proficiency and 2) to develop enjoyment of reading and creativity of writing. Teachers will plan Literacy, which will allow pupils to build upon prior knowledge and understanding, as well as the teaching sequence for writing. Teachers will develop their knowledge of literature and ensure that pupils are exposed to a wide variety of different, high-quality texts. Pupils will be exposed to classics, as well as to lesser-known work of literature from around the world, representing a diverse range of authors and writers.

All pupils’ efforts will be celebrated. Work that reflects the efforts of all pupils will be displayed and named. Pupils will be presented with opportunities to share their work with the wider school community and with parents.

Impact

Our Literacy curriculum will ensure that:

• pupils leave The Sky Academy with a love of reading. They are able to reference a wide range of different authors, from different literary traditions and genres.
• pupils leave The Sky Academy with a love of writing. They should be able to express their opinions and their creativity in writing that is well structured, clear, technically accurate, and interesting to read.
• pupils are able to express their opinions verbally, to understand how to engage – and disagree – with others clearly and articulately.
• pupils leave The Sky Academy having made the best possible progress as a result of consistent, Quality First Teaching and (where appropriate) additional interventions.
• pupils are confident to try new things, experiment with their writing, take risks, and continue to expand their experience of reading.
• pupils feel that their efforts are valued and their opinions heard. That they have had a chance to find their ‘voice’ and are encouraged to use it.