Literacy and Oracy
Literacy & Oracy
Ixworth High School places significant importance on the ability of our students to read and has responded to latest research and the Careers market to develop Oracy in order to support students future progress. We recognise the challenge for students with lower reading ages in accessing the curriculum and the profound impact this can have on their futures. Furthermore, there is a need to prevent the gap between them and their peers from widening (Known as The Matthew effect). We address this challenge on many different levels. Below you will find some outlines of how we accomplish this within our standard curriculum:
Tutor Time Literacy
Etymology, Key Terms and Idioms
Our Tutor time curriculum has been deliberately designed to allow meaningful learning to take place. 30 min sessions are delivered by tutors once a week to develop our students literacy levels. Starting with etymology of terms focusing on prefix, suffix and roots of words, enables our students to decode previously unknown words in all classrooms as well as out of school. As students progress through the school they are exposed to key terms and finally, idioms.
Reading to Fluency
Newly introduced in 2025, tutor time builds on the skills already seen in lessons. Expecting students to understand how to emphasise points, pause, increase or decrease pace when reading requires modelling. Tutors read once a week to their class exhibiting these skills. As students progress through school, confident readers are also encouraged to model reading to fluency to their peers. This process is followed by a series of comprehension questions ensuring all students have been able to understand the text being delivered.
Scaffolding & Modelling
Our teaching and support staff enable our students to access work and share their understanding through the use of Scaffolding and Modelling. Scaffolding supports students to access information, answer questions and share their understanding in a format that maximises their potential. Modelling of how to Read, understand and construct paragraphs, essays and responses, supports students to know what a good response entails and the thinking behind it.
Oracy
The Spoken word
Students are given numerous opportunities to articulate their responses in all subjects. Using the 'Talk to Write' principles and building on research that shows the ability to talk through an answer increases the quality of the answer, lessons are designed to ensure this conversation can take place. This is achieved through a myriad of methods for example, Question and Answer, Turn and Talk & Think/Pair/Share.
In Tutor time this is built in to comprehension questions and discussion or debate about recent News or key topics. Furthermore, Year 8 carry out a specific unit in their Extended Project looking at Oracy as a skill.
In Enrichment, lower school students undertake a unit of debating to ensure that students have the basic skills to articulate their thoughts in a secure and supportive environment.
