1. Whole-school literacy at Swanshurst I think that when the lies are all told and forgot, the truth will be there yet. It don’t move about from place to place and it don’t change from time to time. You can’t corrupt it any more than you can salt salt. You can’t corrupt it because that’s what it is. It’s the thing you’re talkin’ about. From ‘No Country for Old Men’ – Cormac McCarthy

2. Where did the concept of whole- school literacy come from? The national literacy strategy was originally a strand of the whole key stage 3 strategy, aimed at raising standards at key stage 3 The government set the target of 85% of students reaching level 5 and above in English national tests by 2007. Swanshurst’s level 5 and above in English national tests for 2005 was 83% The national literacy strategy has three distinct, but overlapping strands – 1.the ‘English Framework’, a series of tightly structured objectives for years 7,8 and 9 delivered through English lessons 2.the progress units, units produced by the DfES aimed at year 7 pupils who start secondary education at level 3 English with the intention of getting them to level 4 by the end of year 7. These are extra to English lessons and not instead of them - in Swanshurst, they are used within our progress curriculum 3. and literacy across the curriculum.

3. Why literacy matters! Literacy skills are a key factor in raising standards across all subjects Language is the main medium we use for teaching, learning and developing thinking - it's at the heart of teaching and learning Literacy works best when it's part of a subject and not seen as an add-on.

4. Literacy as a part of whole-school teaching and learning www.swanshurst.org/literacy

5. First action on the literacy plan this term Set new whole-school literacy objectives for KS3 – one objective per year These objectives will be derived from reading, writing and speaking and listening objectives in the English framework Proposed whole-school objectives sent to heads of department for discussion with departments week beginning, 12 th December Heads of departments feedback to Lucy on suitability of objectives by Friday, 27 th January Revised whole school literacy objectives agreed by all.