WoW – license   CPD Focus – Reading and Vocabulary

 

READING	WRITING	ORACY
Reading widely Reading for pleasure	Spelling of subject-specific vocabulary Use of WAGOLLs to model/scaffold (visualisers, mini-whiteboards)	Purposeful and structured communication with others

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week:

• Trainees and NQTs – observations and assessments this week have been completed.  Many thanks for their hard work.  Thanks to our trainees who leave us on Friday.  We wish them well in their next placements. 
• New staff and trainee CPD – no CPD this week. 
• Reminder: Please continue to ask students to write homework in planners as per school policy. 

 

Reflect…

FEEDBACK - PLAN - TEACH

This term, we have been pushing reading and understanding as a school priority.  CPD, Digests, Top Tips and monitoring and evaluation practices have centred upon this this key skill.  The attached PPT gives food-for-thought as to why this focus is needed.  Last January, the school’s cross-curricular reading strategy (Reciprocal Reading – WLD’s version is ‘Reading Warriors’) was launched and since September, we have been trying to embed (admittedly in difficult circumstances).

 

So, in order to ensure that this key skill is embedded, the CPD focus will continue to be reading and understanding until at least Easter (this replaces ‘writing and metacognition’).  At SIG last week, ACH shared a more structured (and Covid-safe) way of embedding this strategy with Middle Leaders.  In a nutshell, students are guided through the four skills, rather than adopting roles.  Prediction; Clarify; Question; Summarise.

 

 

 

The whole-school CPD session on 13^th January will now be time spent in departments to look at how this approach could be implemented with one year group.  Middle leaders will talk you through this approach in more detail. All of these slides are saved in our WLD Planning PowerPoint here, should you wish to use them.

 

 

Useful references:

DfE has published updated guidance on remote learning

Remote Learning Policy

Teaching and Learning Policy (containing blended learning approach)

WLD planning template

TOP TIPS

 

Over the last eight months, our mission has been to “stay connected and be kind”.  Our Top Tips in 2 Minutes are one way of doing this.  Please have a look back at the Top Tips offered by your colleagues.  They are stored here. 

CPD CASCADE

 

Tidying up files in Teams – thanks to LCH for this tip

 

Bridging the Word Gap at Transition – Oxford University Press Report Building on their 2018 Oxford Language report, the Oxford University Press (OUP)

…continue to carry on their sterling work on vocabulary in their most recent published report: Bridging the Word Gap at Transition. This timely document focuses on the heightened word gap among many children as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown, whilst also drawing attention to the general increased demand in terms of academic vocabulary that occurs at transition. It is certainly worth a read for both English leaders and literacy leaders, as is the OUP's accompanying documentation that offers practical advice about how schools can act on the report’s findings and support students' vocabulary as they move from key stage 2 to key stage 3.

 

National College of Teaching and Leadership

Please take the time to look at an area in which you have an interest.

Useful CPD webinars (please email RLO if you need your password re-sending)

Webinar: Scaffolding Strategies

Webinar: High Quality Feedback

 

Microsoft Educator Community

 

Immersive Reader – lots of resources are available to promote inclusion to help students to become better readers.