Research School Network: Case Study in Disciplinary Literacy Looking at the impact of our literacy course on the WHP Trust, Nottinghamshire

Although the Trust has been praised in the past for its focus on developing reading across the curriculum, we felt that there was far more that we could do to embed vocabulary within classroom practice.

During the Autumn and Spring terms, Bramcote College’s Head of School and Alderman White’s Head of English attended a sequence of training days at Huntington Research School. Our focus was Disciplinary Literacy – the importance of developing speaking, reading and writing fluency across the curriculum. Linked to our attendance on the course, Marcus Jones [Huntington’s Literacy Lead] also came to us to deliver whole-Trust INSET, specifically on the development of vocabulary and the importance of closing the vocabulary gap across subjects.

Working with Huntington has enabled us to develop a culture of word consciousness as part of schemes of work. Across subjects, teachers are creating Frayer Models, etymology and morphology support frames, and knowledge organisers with a vocabulary focus. We know this is happening because students know exactly what to do with a Frayer Model and are increasingly curious about word origins and how words are connected to each other. In real terms, our English teachers are beginning to see at GCSE the use of scientific vocabulary, such as catalyst or distillation, to help explain the impact of characters in literary texts. Frequency and wavelength even made an appearance as part of an extended metaphor in a piece of descriptive writing for a Year 10 mock English Language paper.

We have now extended our application of vocabulary as a means to underpin threshold concepts within individual curriculum areas. The Trust held a Curriculum Conference in July, during which the Heads of English and History led a workshop which moved ideas on from vocabulary for schemes of work to understanding the incredibly powerful vocabulary of academic thought and the ways in which we can frame key ideas more simply, once a thorough understanding of key words is established.

Our work is on-going. As part of our next steps in disciplinary literacy, we aim to:

- Build word conscious teaching into a wider range of subjects
- Build explicit vocabulary teaching into every schemes of work
- Strengthen explanations by using synonyms so that students can demonstrate their understanding of ideas in more precise detail and with more secure links to the concept behind the question
- Build on threshold concepts at key stage 3, using literary texts to deepen exposure to complex vocabulary linked to abstract ideas about power, society, identity and gender

There is always more work to do, but the partnership with Huntington has promoted literacy within the Trust. Equally as important, the partnership has facilitated departments working together to support students in their ambition to be part of a culture of excellence.

Heidi Gale and Shirley Gardiner
WHP Trust, Nottinghamshire