Research School Network: The Evidence-informed Literacy Lead Starting points for anyone leading on literacy who wants to develop their evidence-informed approach

The literacy lead role is one of the most important in a school, yet it can also be one of the most challenging. We have compiled a few tips to help give you the best chance of success.

Explore the evidence

The Education Endowment Foundation have written guidance reports which support every stage of pupils’ literacy development:

• Preparing for Literacy
• Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1
• Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2
• Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools

Each guide provides practical recommendations to support pupils’ literacy. You can read the one most relevant to your phase, or read more to see the whole process of literacy development. Each report has a number of links to the supporting research, so you can follow up by delving deeper into a topic.

And staying with the EEF, the teaching and learning toolkit explores the evidence around oral language interventions, phonics and reading comprehension strategies. In addition, they have published evidence reviews into other relevant areas:

• Reading at the Transition
• Reading Programmes for Secondary Students
• Literacy Development
• Writing Approaches in Years 3 to 13

None of these publications give you a definite answer about what will work, but they will help you to shape approaches and identify priorities.

Choose the interventions that have the best chance of success

Once you have identified the area of focus in your context that is amenable to change, you may want to look for existing programs that meet your needs. In this post, we have explored a range of sources that could help you to decide whether there is evidence for the effectiveness of the approach and suggest these sources:

Evidence 4 Impact is a database with many educational interventions listed – and not just those for literacy. After searching, you will be met with brief information about each intervention, together with its evidence rating. 

The EEF’s ​‘Big Picture’ section on Language and Literacy is another place where you will find evaluations of programs and promising strategies. You can also find their summary of some evaluations of TA-led programs here.

Another comprehensive source for information about the effectiveness of some programs is ​‘What works for children and young people with literacy difficulties? – an overview of the effectiveness of literacy intervention schemes’ (Brooks, 2016).

When you can’t identify any research that shows if your chosen program works, ask whether it lines up with the recommendations from the guidance report. And remember that jut because something ​‘worked’ in one set of circumstances, it may turn out differently in your context.

Consider the factors of effective implementation

Whether you choose a pre-existing program, or develop your own approach, it’s crucial that you give everything the best chance of success. A School’s Guide to Implementation is the EEF’s guidance report which will support you in doing this. They have 5 recommendations:

1. Treat implementation as a process, not an event; plan and execute it in stages.
2. Create a leadership environment and school climate that is conducive to good implementation.
3. Define the problem you want to solve and identify appropriate programmes or practices to implement
4. Create a clear implementation plan, judge the readiness of the school to deliver that plan, then prepare staff and resources.
5. Support staff, monitor progress, solve problems, and adapt strategies as the approach is used for the first time
6. Plan for sustaining and scaling an intervention from the outset and continually acknowledge and nurture its use.

Initiatives that affect the whole of the school can make a positive difference, but there are also pitfalls that make implementation at this scale harder. Think of how many failed initiatives that you have encountered over your career so far and do what you can to avoid the same mistakes.

Connect with your local Research School!

There are a number of training courses and literacy events on offer from across the Research School Network. You can find out information here: https://researchschool.org.uk/events/

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