Literacy

Literacy is the combination of reading, writing and oracy skills.

At Drapers’ Academy we believe that these skills are not only the foundation of successful teaching and learning but also essential to the happiness, health and wealth of individuals and society.

Drapers’ Academy is committed to ensuring high standards of literacy for every student both within classrooms and through intervention and co-curricular opportunities. The library is the hub of the school for reading and regularly runs reading events and welcomes author visits. Other activities such as The Poetry by Heart Club, Literacy Ambassadors, Reading Buddies and Lexia interventions also take place in the library. Year 7 and 8 have a fortnightly reading for pleasure lesson in the library where they engage with diverse and modern texts and independent reading following the Accelerated Reader programme. 

We have a word of the week that forms part of our Character Curriculum and is discussed and used in form time activities as well as lessons. Reading is a key part of our form time programme and Year 9 to 11 engage in reading for pleasure and non fiction reading in form time. Subject specific vocabulary is explicitly taught in lessons and staff are trained to teach writing for the discipline they teach; being a creative writer in English requires very different skills to writing like a scientist. 

Cold Calling and Say it Better operate within the classroom to develop oracy and encourage all pupils to engage. Additionally, the school participate in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge with Year 10 and all pupils  complete a Spoken Word Exam in English Language in Year 11. 

The English Faculty follow the Mastery Curriculum at Key Stage 3 which has Literacy specific teaching in all year groups; teaching explicit grammar and punctuation lessons alongside reading and writing units. 

We also run specific interventions when pupils need extra time to develop Literacy skills and have small additional teaching groups in both Key Stage 3 and 4 when needed. Access arrangements and support for word processors and hand writing pens also form part of our interventions. 

Our philosophy is that Literacy is every teachers responsibility and that every teacher is a teacher of Literacy regardless of the subject taught and as such we have developed extensive CPD and coaching to reflect this.