At Haywood Academy, we know that strong literacy skills open doors for young people, shaping their future opportunities. That’s why we believe every teacher plays a role in helping students develop these essential skills. We’re dedicated to supporting all our pupils in becoming confident readers, writers, and communicators, knowing that this will boost their learning across all subjects. Our approach to literacy is tailored to each subject, helping students understand how to read, write, and express themselves effectively in every area of their education.

Our strategy for reading is underpinned by three areas:

We support every pupil on their literacy journey, tailoring our approach to their individual needs. Each half term, we focus on a different aspect of literacy across all lessons, helping staff highlight common mistakes and improve students’ skills. At KS3, pupils enjoy a dedicated fortnightly reading session using Sparx Reader. Plus, completion of Sparx Reader homework gives students the chance to earn achievement points and exciting prizes!

For those who find literacy more challenging, we provide extra support. Our assessment process helps us identify pupils who might benefit from additional help, such as Lexia and Reading Plus interventions. These targeted sessions are strategically offered to boost reading confidence and increase reading ages by years in a short time!

As part of our English curriculum, we are also committed to carrying on the knowledge gained at Key Stage 2 by working with the company Grammarsaurus on a series of lessons called The Place and Value of Punctuation and Grammar (PVPG) to ensure students are confident in their correct use of grammar and punctuation, as well as word types and sentence structures.