Leading Literacy in Secondary Schools
This course offers practical, evidence-based strategies to help students improve their literacy confidence and competence in the 11-19 phase. The day focuses on practical classroom approaches that you and your colleagues can try immediately. We also explore the leadership of literacy in schools and planning for the new Ofsted Framework. The course will encourage you to link literacy, learning and leadership in your school.
Sessions during the day are titled:
- What makes outstanding literacy
- What does the research tell us about what works
- How to include our subject colleagues
- How to develop whole-school approaches to literacy
- How do we track literacy progress across the school
- How to measure improvements in impact
- How do we share best practice across the school
- What does the new Ofsted Common Inspection Framework say about literacy
- How to help our students develop a ‘thirst for learning’
- Planning for the new English GCSE specification, for example, teaching the nineteenth century text
- Helping our students to be leaders of literacy
Structure of the day:
Session 1 - How to Improve Literacy in your School 9.45-10.30
- What makes outstanding literacy
- What does the research tell us about what works
Session 2 - Our Colleagues as Leaders of Literacy 10.30-11.15
- How to include our subject colleagues
- How to develop whole school approaches to literacy
Break 11.15-11.30
Session 3 - Track and Measure Literacy in your School 11.30-12.15
- How do we track literacy progress across the school
- How to measure improvements in impact
Session 4 - Sustaining your Literacy Project 12.15-13.00
- How do we share best practice across the school
- What does the new Ofsted Common Inspection Framework say about literacy
Lunch 13.00-13.45
Session 5 - Literacy: The Curious Classroom 13.45-14.30
- How to help our students develop a ‘thirst for learning’?
Session 6 - Helping our students to be leaders of literacy 14.30-15.15
Presenter profile
Graham Tyrer is an Ofsted inspector and national trainer. He was headteacher of Chenderit School, Northamptonshire, UK, rated by England’s school inspectors, Ofsted, as Outstanding and of Ash Green School, Warwickshire which is now one of the highest achieving schools in the country.
Graham has a wealth of experience in school improvement and national INSET. He delivers training in Literacy Across the Curriculum and Learning to Lead for the National Literacy Trust, National College for School Leadership, the National Breakthrough Trust, Osiris, Teachology and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. Graham is the author of Learning to Lead (Bloomsbury), The Literacy Leader’s Toolkit (Bloomsbury) and All Shall Be Well (Purflain Press). He is a winner of the TES Outstanding Literacy Initiative Award and won the SSAT Every Child Matters, national literacy award. Graham won a Secondary Teacher of the Year award.
Graham’s practice had been recognized as nationally significant best practice by Ofsted in their survey of Literacy Across the Curriculum in Schools.
Impact evidence, over four years, from the leading Chenderit School:
- English expected levels of progress grew to 93% from 75%
- GCSE English rose to 92% - A*-C - from 65%
- Whole school A*ACEM rose from 57% to 70%
- TES Outstanding Literacy Award
- SSAT Outstanding Literacy Award
- Ofsted Best Literacy Practice
- Ofsted school grading: Outstanding