This document discusses developing links between primary and secondary schools to improve literacy. It describes a project where secondary English teachers worked with primary teachers over two terms, including observing literacy lessons, primary students visiting for workshops, and discussions. Both primary and secondary teachers learned from each other, such as using common language and assessments, questioning techniques, and teaching spelling strategies. The collaboration was valuable for dialogue and improving expectations. Next steps include formalizing transition curriculum, sharing policies, and continuing cross-phase professional development to evaluate impact on attainment. Strengthening transitions between phases benefits students.

1. Linking Literacy between
Primary and Secondary:
The Mutual Benefits

2. – Developing links and CPD across our Teaching
School Alliance / Challenge Partner Hub
– School Improvement Plan – “Literacy for
Learning”
– Refining school-wide literacy policy
– The Compton’s English department aware of
the need to improve the way skills of
technical accuracy were taught – SPAG at
GCSE, area of development for students
TheContext The Compton School Context
Sowing the seeds…

3. – Under-developed transition within the borough due to the
fact that primary students go to a vast range of schools
– Transition SoW not necessarily appropriate at this stage –
needs to be about the pedagogical skills
– Primary Schools within the Partnership are “outstanding”
– looking for “the edge”
– Challenge Partner hub has created space for more
dialogue and focus on specific teaching and learning needs
– Challenge Partners framework has created trust between
the schools – openness.
– This linking work came out of Partnership discussions with
Primary Headteachers – pilot project with one primary
school:
• English AST outreach work with a local primary school.
TheContext The Cross-Phase Context
Sowing the seeds…

4. • “Although the survey uncovered areas of good practice, the
quality of transition between Key Stages 2 and 3 in English
was too often no better than satisfactory. The lack of regular
communication and exchange of ideas between primary and
secondary schools created problems for continuity in teaching
and assessment. There was similar evidence about whole-
school literacy. This report includes some examples of good
practice but the majority of schools visited did not have
systematic procedures in place to develop good literacy
practice across all departments” – Moving English Forwards
(2012)
• “Maintaining the academic momentum”- More Able Ofsted
Report (2013)
TheContext The Educational Context
Sowing the seeds…

5. • The 5 Bridges of Transition:
• “The pedagogy bridge deals with how teachers teach. A
shared understanding of how students are taught will
improve the continuity in teaching and classrooms between
phases. It seeks to counter stereotypes held by teachers in
each phase and to encourage cross-phase and professional
support and dialogue” – DFES report from London Challenge
programme, 2005.
TheContext The Educational Context
Sowing the seeds…

6. • 5 primary colleagues from 4 different schools:
– Looking at Assessing Pupil Progress grids used to level at
KS3 and understanding the level 6 criteria.
– Pupil friendly level ladders.
– Assessment focus posters to raise awareness of the
different reading and writing skills.
– Question stems to encourage higher level reading skills for
the respective assessment focuses.
– Exemplar level 6 work / exercise book scrutinies.
– The level 6 SATs paper- familiarisation.
– KS3/ KS4 strategies for tackling writing exam questions
shared.
Firststeps… The Primary School Teachers’ Conference
Level 6 Workshop

7. • 5 primary colleagues from 4 different schools:
– Looking at Assessing Pupil Progress grids used to level at
KS3 and understanding the level 6 criteria.
– Pupil friendly level ladders.
– Assessment focus posters to raise awareness of the
different reading and writing skills.
– Question stems to encourage higher level reading skills for
the respective assessment focuses.
– Exemplar level 6 work / exercise book scrutinies.
– The level 6 SATs paper- familiarisation.
– KS3/ KS4 strategies for tackling writing exam questions
shared.
Firststeps… The Primary School Teachers’ Conference
Level 6 Workshop DISCUSS

8. • Who?
– Primary: A mixture of senior staff, classroom teachers and TAs.
– Secondary: 1 literacy teacher and 3 English teachers from The
Compton visited 4 respective primary schools within the
Partnership.
• What?
– Precise focus: 2 terms – develop primary school teachers’
confidence in how to stretch G&T primary students in Literacy and
for secondary school teachers to enhance their teaching practice.
– Precise timescale: 2 terms
– Secondary teachers observing literacy in action at the primary
schools
– Year 6 G&T students visit The Compton for a day-long Year 6
“master-class” focusing on how to achieve a level 6. Primary
colleagues observed this teaching.
– Fundamentally, this was an opportunity to have time and space to
discuss what goes on in their classroom, reflect and make changes.
• How?
– Use of subject credit of funds as a result of Challenge Partnership.
Cross-PhaseCPD Making Mutually Beneficial Links
The Logistics

9. • A shared understanding of what makes a piece of
writing and reading level 6 respectively.
• Assessing Pupil Progress grids and how to use them.
• Question stems to develop students’ thinking against
the particular assessment focuses.
• What level 6 teaching looks like in practice.
• A range of teaching methods to try out in their own
classrooms.
Cross-PhaseCPD Making Mutually Beneficial Links
Lessons Learned:
Primary Colleagues

10. Department Level:
• Developing a common language for literacy – new SATs paper.
• Literacy booklet accompanying a SoW.
• We have “raised the bar” in terms of our expectations of year 7.
• Reinvigorated and more creative approach to teaching core skills.
• Improved understanding of phonics in relation to spelling strategies.
• Visual targets and prompts.
• Varied reading approaches: one-to-one, reading recovery,
differentiated reading groups, whole class.
• Students grouped by ability, not just mixed ability all of the time.
• Use of the visualiser to help model proof reading and editing skills.
• Spelling and vocabulary books.
Cross-PhaseCPD Making Mutually Beneficial Links
Lessons Learned:
Secondary Colleagues

11. • Whole School Level:
– Using the common language for literacy across the
curriculum – still in development.
– Inspired by how a primary school used “The Power of
Reading” to ensure texts read by students are suited to
their capabilities – we will be trialling Accelerated
Reader with year 7 next year.
– Sustaining and building on the love of reading students
have in primary schools.
Cross-PhaseCPD Making Mutually Beneficial Links
Lessons Learned:
Secondary Colleagues

12. • Cross-phase peer-to-peer support is enriching and
reinvigorating.
• Collaboration and having the time and space for
dialogue around Teaching and Learning was vital.
• The effectiveness of Challenge Partners in providing
structure and organisation in a deregulated and
autonomous system of education; it is a vehicle for
ensuring consistency and cohesion between the phases.
Cross-PhaseCPD Making Mutually Beneficial Links
Lessons Learned Generally

13. • Cross-phase peer-to-peer support is enriching and
reinvigorating.
• Collaboration and having the time and space for
dialogue around Teaching and Learning was vital.
• The effectiveness of Challenge Partners in providing
structure and organisation in a deregulated and
autonomous system of education; it is a vehicle for
ensuring consistency and cohesion between the phases.
Cross-PhaseCPD Making Mutually Beneficial Links
Lessons Learned Generally
What can you learn from each other?

14. • A formalised transition unit explicitly building on skills
taught at primary which has grown out from the project.
Pedagogy first, curriculum next.
• Policies on teaching and learning shared across phases –
moving towards a cross-phase literacy framework.
• Continuation of observation and “master-class” model to
further enhance cross-phase CPD.
• Refining the way we teach spelling strategies to include
reference to phonics.
• Evaluating the impact: improved numbers of level 6,
qualitative data surrounding primary school teacher
feedback. A more systematic approach needed.
Cross-PhaseCPD Developing Mutually Beneficial Links…
Our Next Steps…

15. Moving English Forwards (2012) cited the following examples of
transition to be effective:
• Writing produced by Year 6 pupils on their introductory visit to the
secondary school that was later built into English lessons in Year 7
• A reading passport or record that moved with the pupil between
primary and secondary school, giving the Year 7 teacher good, early
information about each pupil’s reading habits
• The English department asking students to bring their best piece of
Year 6 work to school in September
• A transition unit involving joint work by teachers across phases
including teaching by secondary staff in the primary school or vice versa
• In a summer school focused on literacy and aimed at Year 6 pupils.
Cross-PhaseCPD Developing Mutually Beneficial Links
Other ideas…

16. QuestionandAnswer