Curriculum
Literacy
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope, a tool for daily life in modern society, a bulwark against poverty and a building block of development….” Kofi Annan
Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world.
At Christchurch Learning Centre, we ensure that literacy is embedded throughout our curriculum; reading, extended writing, oracy and SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) are integral foundations of every subject.
We aim to foster a culture of reading in school where pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure, particularly during tutor times. Pupils also take part in weekly spelling activities, which aim to broaden their subject specific vocabulary and in turn impact their independent writing skills.
Reading Plus is a diagnostic interactive platform which supports pupils to develop their reading fluency and comprehension skills. All pupils are allocated an account and encouraged to complete an assessment during their induction period. This assessment generates texts appropriate to their individual reading ability and highlights gaps in comprehension to be targeted through specific interventions within school.
All pupils are assigned two reading and one vocabulary task per week, which can be completed during timetabled reading lessons, or independently as home learning. Pupils are motivated to engage with Reading Plus by rewarding consistent weekly, monthly and termly access. Red tickets can be earned and traded instantly for ‘sweet treats’, or the ticket can be added to their golden tickets and accumulated as part of their overall school behaviour and attainment reward.
Reading Plus at CLC offers continuity in learning for those pupils aiming to return to mainstream provision or fill gaps in learning for those who have been out of education for long periods of time. By using the same reading system as our mainstream feeders, pupils can have a familiar learning platform and see the correlation between what they do here and in other provisions.
Empower is a literacy programme designed by the National Literacy Trust, for girls and young women aged 11 to 14 excluded from, or at risk of being excluded from, mainstream education. It aims to improve their critical media literacy skills in small group sessions, with an emphasis on discussion. We deliver this to pupils throughout the year during timetabled intervention lessons.
During short 1:1 intervention, pupils are supported to develop their spelling accuracy using Spellzone. This is an interactive platform which unlocks the mystery of English spelling and adapts to all abilities, including those with dyslexia. Pupils can work on tailored learning pathways at their own pace and on any device, allowing teachers to monitor progress and in turn impact their spelling accuracy in all subject areas.
At Christchurch Learning Centre we are empowering young people to improve their financial wellbeing whilst developing literacy skills. Words that Count is a financial literacy programme run by the National Literacy to empower young people aged 14-19 to feel more confident and informed about making their own financial decision. We deliver this throughout the year during timetabled Literacy lessons and small group interventions.
Project Gutenberg
Offers over 50,000 free e-books
Book Trust Finder
Great resource for finding books on a wide variety of genres.
(click books & reading, then bookfinder)
Reading Zone
Book reviews, competitions and activities for all ages.
Toppsta
Giveaways and hundreds of book reviews and activities for a wide range of ages.
