01842 668080
Organisation: Parc Primary School
Intervention: Catch Up® Literacy, Catch Up® Numeracy
Submitted by: David Williams
Background
Parc Primary School is situated in the Rhondda, which is one of the most deprived areas of South Wales. We were one of the first schools in our area to trial the Catch Up® intervention. We liked the fact that it is delivered in short bursts and is very effective, as well as having a proven history of success. Catch Up® has not only helped improve the reading abilities of our children but it has also promoted the development of their phonics, letter formation and spelling.
When Catch Up® Numeracy was introduced into the area, we had no hesitation in launching it in our school. We liked the fact that the assessments were very diagnostic and have found them extremely useful in targeting the relevant numeracy areas, not only in the intervention, but also in the classroom. We have seen outstanding results in the improvement of pupils’ maths ages.
As a result of the successful implementation of both Catch Up® Numeracy and Literacy, our learners are far more confident and eager to learn, and are more engaged in all areas of the curriculum.
Implementation
Catch Up® is a very important part of our school; we have one member of staff whose timetable is fully dedicated to delivering Catch Up to years 2 to 6. Catch Up® Numeracy is timetabled to take place during the morning and Catch Up® Literacy is timetabled each afternoon. The sessions are delivered in our dedicated intervention room, which allows pupils to learn in a quiet and supportive environment. Staff have been trained (and “top-up” trained) in both Catch Up® Literacy and Numeracy and have been monitored regularly. Our Catch Up® deliverer has also been involved in sharing good practice with colleagues from other schools.
Children are selected for both literacy and numeracy interventions using a variety of sources. Teacher assessment is considered, as well as the national test results. The York reading tests, which are administered bi-annually to all our children, are also used to identify children for Catch Up® Literacy. Once a child is selected, baseline data is collected using the Salford Reading Test for Literacy and the Basic Number Screening Test for Numeracy. Parents/guardians are informed by the Class teachers.
The children are monitored weekly by the Catch Up® deliverer, and relevant feedback is given to the Class teachers/SENCO. This ensures that all involved staff are supporting the individual needs of the child. Intermediate testing also takes place, followed by final assessments at the end of the intervention. The progress results are then fed back to the Head teacher, SENCO and Class teachers, as well as the parents and the pupils themselves. An end- of- year assembly celebrates the success of the children, where every child receives a special certificate.
Case Study 1 - Catch Up® Literacy
When Child A first started Catch Up® Literacy, her Reading Age was 14 months behind her Chronological Age. She lacked confidence and did not like reading. It was hard to get her to engage in the first few sessions; she was very nervous and was reluctant to come.
As the sessions continued, she started to engage, have fun and began to look forward to them. Over the year, her confidence flourished and she often asked “When is my next session?” She thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the intervention, including the online digital games. Child A ended the year with a Reading Age 2 months above her Chronological Age, an overall gain of 25 months. There has been an amazing change in Child A’s attitude towards reading and the transformation in her confidence is clear to see.
Case Study 2 - Catch Up® Numeracy
Child B is always keen to do his best. At the start of year 5, the Basic Number Screening Test results showed that he was below his Chronological Age in Maths. His Number Age in September was 5.01, 52 months behind his Chronological Age. He lacked confidence in Numeracy and said that doing Maths made him sad. He described his maths ability as “terrible”. Child B was reluctant to answer questions, for fear of failing, and his starting Catch Up® level was 1.
Since receiving Catch Up®, Child B’s confidence has soared. He is now eager to do Maths, enjoys a variety of components, and even feels confident enough to help peers! He said that Catch Up® has helped him a lot and has made it easier to understand different aspects of Maths. When tested with the BNST after 10 months, the data reflected this; his Number Age had increased by 60 months, to 10.01, just 4 months behind his Chronological Age.
Aims
“to be a learning, happy, caring community, which will build the communities of the future”