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Find out moreLots of my Year 7s are working at just below the level needed to fully participate in the Key Stage 3 curriculum. Is Catch Up® the answer?
Many pupils start Key Stage 3 with literacy and numeracy levels below those required to fully participate in the Key Stage 3 curriculum. In government-speak, these pupils are not ‘secondary-ready’. Typically, these pupils are reasonable decoders of text but may lack the inferential comprehension skills expected of readers in Key Stage 3 English classes. They may be quite confident at addition and subtraction but less secure in the skills of decimals and fractions. These pupils are often about 6 months behind age-related expectations. In terms of Catch Up® levels, they are likely to be functioning at level 12.
The Catch Up® interventions are primarily intended for pupils who are struggling with literacy and/or numeracy. These pupils may be as much as three years or more behind age-related expectations.
So, are the Catch Up® interventions suitable for pupils who may need a literacy or numeracy boost rather than needing a systematic revision of the core skills?
Yes … and No!
Generally, we don’t recommend that pupils start Catch Up® at level 11 or 12. But the answer does depend on whether the pupil is having difficulties with literacy or numeracy.
If the pupil is performing at Catch Up® Literacy level 12 (National Curriculum Level 3a in old-speak!) then the most likely gaps in their literacy/English skills are:
Catch Up® is the working name of The Caxton Trust, a not-for-profit charity registered in England and Wales (1072425) and Scotland (SC047557) as well as a company limited by guarantee (03476510). Catch Up is a registered trademark.