Excellence Awards

15th October 2013 - Catch Up® Excellence Awards: Miskin Primary School, Rhondda Cynon Taf - BRONZE award winner (Catch Up® Literacy)

Organisation: Miskin Primary School
Intervention: Catch Up® Literacy
Submitted by: Alison Jay, ALN Assistant, Miskin Primary School

Background
Miskin Primary School caters for pupils between three and eleven years, and is situated in the village of Miskin. There are currently 127 pupils on roll, of which 21 attend the nursery class full-time. With the exception of the nursery class, pupils are organised into four mixed ability and mixed age classes. They are taught by six full-time teachers and one part-time teacher.
Our intent is that all connected with the School receive a variety of opportunities to acquire knowledge, practise skills and develop talents to the best of their abilities: instilling a love of learning and no fear of failure.

Implementation
Communication

Miskin School has an open door policy with parents. At the beginning of the intervention, letters are given out to parents to inform of their child’s participation on the programme and it gives them an overview of the intervention. Parents are invited to meet the intervention manager if they require any further information on Catch Up® Literacy.

Timetable

During the academic year of 2012/13, six learners were timetabled to receive Catch Up® Literacy. It is organised as a matched provision with the school-based LSA and LA central team.


Selection of learners

At the beginning of the Autumn term, a staff meeting is held to discuss the learners' previous interventions. NC levels and NGRT scores as well as teacher assessment and observations are taken into account to draw up a shortlist of suitable pupils. These pupils are then assessed using the New Salford Sentence reading test to decide on final numbers.

Monitoring

• Regular reviewing of progress using the Catch Up® Literacy targets by the school-based LSA in collaboration with the central team LSA.

Catch Up® Literacy diagnostic assessments are reviewed to monitor that progress has been made.

• Attitudes to reading are measured using the Catch Up® Literacy reading interview.

• Progress is monitored and evaluated by repeating the interview at the end of the intervention.

• Learners' progress is monitored using the New Salford Sentence reading test, which is completed at the beginning of the intervention (September), mid-way through (February) and at the end (June).

• Any learner failing to make the expected progress is referred to the school SENCO.

• Any learner who scores a reading age matching or exceeding their chronological age is taken off the intervention and moved to a group-based intervention (if both the LSA and the class teacher agrees with the test score).

• Learners' reading progress is discussed by the class teacher and the LSA, who complete the INCERTs tracking data together.

Case Study 1 - Catch Up® Literacy
Child A was a Year 2 learner who lacked confidence with reading. He started to display a very negative attitude towards reading in class and his self-esteem was adversely affected. His mother started to notice a difference at home and expressed her concerns to the school.

After a reading test, it was decided that Child A would be a suitable candidate to benefit from Catch Up® Literacy. The LSA found that Child A’s negative attitude to reading affected his approach and he did not initially enjoy being withdrawn from class for extra support. After a few weeks, he slowly started to change his attitude and after the first half term he started to enjoy the sessions.

Child A, in 6 months, had made 15 months gain in his reading age and was really engaged in sessions. His confidence had improved and the class Teacher and his mother had noticed a difference.
Child A’s mother was delighted with the difference that Catch Up® had made to her son’s progress and attitude and at the end of the intervention there were tears of joy instead of tears of despair!

Case Study 2 - Catch Up® Literacy
Child C was a Year 3 learner with a reading age of 4:10, who displayed a negative attitude towards reading in class. His parents had noticed a difference at home and expressed their concerns to the school.

By using The School Reading Test (Salford), we were able to find the learner's missing skills. We discovered that he needed help with not only reading but with numbers too. His self-esteem was being adversely affected and he needed help quickly in both areas.

It was decided that Child C would be placed on the Catch Up® programme. He found the sessions difficult at first so we started him on easy books to read, this built his confidence. Gradually, he started to not mind leaving the classroom to come and work with the Catch Up® Deliverer.

In 6 months, Child C had made +32 months gain in his reading age and was really engaged in the sessions, and he made a massive +37 months after 38 Catch Up® sessions.

Aims
To stimulate pupils’ curiosity about the world around them, building knowledge, skills and attitudes. Belong, Believe and Achieve.