The Literacy Pathway

The Literacy Pathway at Northampton School for Girls

Our goal is for every student to leave Northampton School for Girls with a reading age that matches or exceeds their biological age. Teaching and specialist literacy staff provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils to gain confidence in literacy, be ambitious, and have realistically high expectations of themselves. The structure of the literacy pathway has been tailored to help children fulfil their academic and social goals whilst also fostering a positive sense of self.

The Northampton School for Girls literacy pathway underpins SEND support and improves whole-school literacy by providing more time and space for literacy-specific focused work. We recognise that literacy may be impacted by specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia but is not limited to this. Our teaching staff understand the connection between low reading achievement and other concerns such as social, emotional, and mental health development, oracy skills, personal development, and employment access. By supporting students with their literacy development, we aim to provide life-long skills that will support their growth at Northampton School for Girls as well as in the wider world. Raising literacy skills is a national priority in education and we are confident that, at Northampton School for Girls, our pathway supports students in addressing this.

Quality first teaching across all areas of the curriculum will aid in reducing the need for additional support but we recognise that some students will require additional structured, targeted and personalised support to make progress. In line with recommendations from the Education Endowment Foundation, Northampton School for Girls has adopted a tiered approach to supporting the needs of all of our students. Students are identified as Wave 1, 2 or 3 as explained below, ensuring students receive the appropriate level of support for their needs.

Identifying students considered to be Wave 1, 2 or 3

Reading age data is collected twice a year in Years 7 and 8 by using the GL New Group Reading test (NGRT). Annually, in years 7 - 9 students sit the GL Progress tests and, where appropriate, the Renaissance Learning STAR test. All of this information can be used alongside Key Stage 2 data and other relevant internal data. All of these assessments provide us with reading age and diagnostic information that support teaching and learning strategies as well as informing us of intervention needs. If required, students may undertake further diagnostic testing.

The NSG Literacy Pathway

Attainment in Literacy	Banding	Actions
Above Expected	Referred to High Achieving Scholars Programme	Students are provided with learning opportunities in class to be stretched and challenged thus further improving their literacy abilities. Students are targeted by their Head of Academic Standards to enter Scholars and other extra-curricular opportunities for further challenge. The Head of English will select students to compete in National Competitions.
Expected	Wave 1	Access to high-quality reading material in all subjects with all staff using the Six Steps to Reading Success* which supports reciprocal reading strategies (predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarising) as well as disciplinary literacy. Modelled reading of engaging and thought-provoking fiction and non-fiction reading material during Active Reading sessions in both tutor time and Year 7 and Year 8 library lessons. An increased focus for Key Stage 4 students on academic writing which is delivered across the curriculum and through Year 11 tutor time sessions. An additional weekly reading lesson for all Year 9 students to model reading, prompt enriching discussions, and broaden the range of reading materials students are exposed to. Century Tech learning is embedded in Years 7, 8, and 9 as part of the English home learning provision. This allows students to develop their skills in reading, writing, and comprehension. Provide opportunities for high-quality classroom talk to enable students to talk confidently, appropriately, and sensitively. Visual praise and rewards linked to literacy success. Literacy enrichment opportunities. Sharing of reading ages with all teaching staff to inform quality first teaching. Access to Renaissance Learning for all year 7 and 8 students.
Reading age is identified as -1 month to 2 years below biological age	Wave 2	All of the strategies for wave 1 are used to support these students with classroom teachers across subject areas additionally providing: Differentiated material specific to their subject A focus on key vocabulary Priority check-in within lessons Targeted areas for support and suggested strategies provided for all teaching staff through the use of Provision Map In English, students within Wave 2 are also supported by our trained 6th Form reading Champions within their library lessons.
Reading age is -2 years + below their biological age.	Wave 3	Taught by specialist teachers through intervention. Additional timetabled provision for students in Years 7 and 8 (this may continue beyond Year 8 if required). Guided reading intervention groups working on specific reading skills such as decoding and inference via Reading Inference Workshops, and Fix it Reading programmes. Twinkl, That Reading Thing and PixL are all used to accelerate pupil progress by increasing phonetic knowledge and application. Twinkl, That Reading Thing and PixL are all used to accelerate pupil progress by increasing phonetic knowledge and application. Smaller groups to accommodate lower-attaining pupils. Students identified as having ‘English as an Additional Language’ by their primary schools, or who are admitted to the school mid-year, are assessed using diagnostic dialogues with a specialist EAL tutor. They may then be given a full ESOL ‘Skills for Life’ assessment of their language skills, including reading and writing. Those at Level 1 (intermediate) or below receive targeted intervention. Duolingo is available to all students receiving intervention, as a means to practise their reading skills alongside intervention lessons.

The Literacy Pathway