Year 7 Catch Up

Year 7 Literacy Catch Up Funding 2019/2020

The Government has allocated funding to schools to support pupils who do not attain the Expected Standard in Literacy at the end of their primary schooling. This academic year the funding of £7657.62 at the Folkestone Academy will be used to:

  • Continue to fund a specialist Literacy intervention course Read, Write Inc to work closely on an individual and small group basis with pupils who have not attained the Expected Standard in Literacy.

  • Additional intervention will be provided to enable pupils not meeting the Expected Standard to access a broad range of performing arts activities targeted to assist pupils in the comprehension of Shakespeare and classic texts.

Impact

100% of pupils in Year 7 who arrived at the Academy in Sept 2019 who were two years below their chronological reading age were engaged in intensive small group support; interventions to develop fundamental literacy skills.

Read Write Inc

Every pupil in the Academy is assessed for reading age (using the NGRT tests) three times per year. Pupils below their chronological reading age sit a further reading test (WRAT). From this we identify those pupils with a reading age of below aged ten to follow the Read Write Inc Programme.

In Year 7, as of September 2019, there are thirty-three pupils identified for rapid intervention with a reading age of ten or below. These pupils attend rapid and targeted phonics interventions, consisting of small group lessons (maximum ten) with specialised resources. Pupils are able to move between groups according to their progress with the aim of returning to lessons once they have reached a suitable standard of confidence in their reading and writing. All Read Write Inc sessions are timetabled against English, allowing pupils to slot back into their lessons once they are able to fully access the curriculum.

Reading age tests are carried out three times through the year to identify additional pupils who might benefit from the programme. Other pupils may be identified through class teaching and other methods.

There is a large and fully trained team of TAs and SEN specialists, led by a member of the English department who is a phonics and EAL specialist. Read Write Inc is closely supported by the SEND section. Extensive professional development has taken place with the Ruth Miskin organisation.

Other Literacy Support

In addition to Read Write Inc, Year 7 pupils are offered a range of interventions through the English mastery programme, close reading approaches in tutorial and throughout the whole Academy curriculum and DEAR days.

Year 7 Numeracy Catch Up Funding 2019/2020

2019-2020

The Government has allocated funding to schools to support pupils who do not attain the Expected Standard in Mathematics at the end of their primary schooling. This academic year the funding of £8,989 at Folkestone Academy will be used to:

  • Continue to fund a numeracy and mathematics intervention teacher to work closely on an individual and small group basis with pupils who have not attained the Expected Standard in Mathematics. This will take place 6 times a week, ensuring that Year 7 pupils from both bands have required support.

  • Intervention sessions are designed to improve understanding of our mastery curriculum, and run alongside main lessons, so that pupils are supported directly with the subject matter being learned in class.

  • The teacher also supports particular pupils in lessons in one of our sets which has greater SEND and EAL requirements.

Year 7 Numeracy Catch Up Funding 2018/2019

2018-2019

The Government allocated funding to schools to support pupils who do not attain the Expected Standard in Mathematics at the end of their primary schooling. In 2018-19 academic year the funding of £12,060.90 at Folkestone Academy was used to:

  • Run Year 7 work groups, led by a mathematics teacher, to support those who had not attained the Expected Standard in Mathematics. The sessions targeted gaps in understanding in relation to our mastery curriculum. This improved progress and also provided a better foundation for further studies in Year 8.

  • Funding was also used for increased in-class support as needed, particularly for pupils with SEND and EAL requirements.