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Organisation: Ton Pentre Junior School
Intervention: Catch Up® Literacy
Submitted by: Lindsay Jones
Background
Ton Pentre Junior School is a mixed county junior school for children between the ages of 7 and 11, administered by the Local Authority and situated in the village of Ton Pentre, Rhondda. The school is split into two phases – Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) and Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6). The children are grouped in the morning into sets according to ability for literacy and numeracy. Huge emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. The school chose Catch Up to ensure that every child is included by taking account of those that may need extra input and help.
Implementation
Catch Up® is timetabled to take place during morning literacy and numeracy sessions, twice weekly. The sessions are undertaken in our dedicated phonics area, ‘The See It, Say It Room’. These sessions are undertaken by the Local Authority peripatetic Catch Up® representative and our school’s HLTA.
Children are selected for the intervention on the basis of teacher assessment and testing - the York Reading Test (administered to all Year 3 children on entry to assess National Curriculum reading levels), followed by the Salford Test, for children identified as possible candidates for Catch Up® Literacy. Once a child is selected, parents/guardians are contacted personally by the school SENCO, via phone and letter. Parents/guardians then return a slip at the bottom of the letter confirming their agreement for the child’s participation.
The Catch Up® Literacy participants are monitored formatively, weekly, regarding their progress. In addition, a weekly dialogue is timetabled and undertaken between the administrators of the intervention and the SENCO. These discussions ensure that the staff delivering the sessions feel supported and that all issues can be acted upon immediately, should they arise. These timetabled discussions also guarantee that continuity and standards are faithful to the intervention process and that these are mutually maintained by both partner deliverers. Intermediate testing takes place within the 9 month period, followed by the final assessment. Ton Pentre Junior School staff are systematically monitored yearly by the SENCO (who reports back, in written format, to the Head teacher) for quality assurance purposes. These assessment procedures certify that high quality sessions occur and that standards are secured and maintained.
Case Study 1 - Catch Up® Literacy
Child had attended three schools by the time he was 5 years old. This resulted in a delay in his literacy learning. A York Reading Test was initiated on his arrival at the school, which was followed by a Salford Test. His reading age was assessed as 5 years 1 month; his chronological age was 7 years 1 month on entry. Following a meeting between the LA Catch Up® representative, the school SENCO and the Literacy Leader, Child A was chosen as a suitable candidate for Catch Up® due to his potential for bridging the gap. He received two sessions per week of Catch Up® Literacy. In addition, Child A received a one-to-one, weekly, 30 minutes phonics intervention from the SENCO and daily guided, shared, independent and class reading opportunities. After 9 months, Child A had made 34 months progress, a ratio gain of 3.86. His reading age had risen to 7 years and 11 months, two months above his chronological age.
Aims
We strive for academic and personal success and to develop our pupils' confidence and self-esteem.