Section outline

  • Ensuring that all students have strong foundations in reading, writing and communication is an absolute priority for secondary schools - literacy leaders need to be sure that the school has robust systems to identify the needs of students and to act promptly from the beginning of Year 7 to address gaps and build confidence in all aspects of literacy.

    For the majority of students, who are working at an age-appropriate level in the foundational elements of literacy, continuing to develop vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking through extended reading within a subject context is key. Disciplinary literacy is the explicit teaching of the reading, writing and oracy within each subject. The responsibility for setting and achieving high standards of literacy rests with all teachers, not just with the English department.