: Leading Reading and Disciplinary Literacy Leading Reading and Disciplinary Literacy

In this blog, Cathy Johnston discussed her journey in leading Reading and Disciplinary Literacy at her school, and the challenges she faced when improving whole school reading.

Introduction

Leadership is a multifaceted concept that goes beyond merely holding a position of authority. It is about inspiring and guiding others towards a common goal, fostering an environment of growth and improvement. My journey in leading Reading and Disciplinary Literacy at Great Academy in Ashton initially focussed upon improving reading skills for weaker readers, expanding into developing a whole school plan that develops a love of reading for all. This experience has not only honed my leadership skills but also deepened my understanding of effectively led strategies, current research and pedagogy but also the importance of empathy and patience.


Identifying the Challenge

When I first took on the responsibility of improving whole school reading, I was faced with several challenges. The diversity in reading abilities, varying levels of interest in reading and the psychological barriers that students faced were significant obstacles. In my school, reading had been identified as an Area for Improvement in our most recent Ofsted report, every year group in the school was below the average SAS on the NGRT test and shifting the ability levels of weakest readers was proving difficult. To tackle these issues, I needed to develop a multi-layered strategic plan that was both inclusive and effective. I had to build credibility for the plan, engender support from the staff and then set to work methodically putting the plan into place.

Building a Team and Setting Goals

One of the first steps was to build a dedicated team of teachers and support staff who were passionate about literacy. This required strong communication skills to convey the vision and goals of the project clearly. Working with the Principal, we set our plan, with measurable milestones to provide a clear roadmap. For instance, we aimed to increase the reading levels of target students using bespoke intervention and proximal assessment methods to measure the small steps of improvement. The guidance and professional development from the Right to Succeed Project was instrumental in developing my own subject knowledge. Often the Literacy lead in schools is an English teacher, for me as a geographer, I had to learn the skills involved in understanding reading and develop a working knowledge of the research that underpins improving reading ability.

Developing and Implementing Strategies

We introduced several initiatives, such as:

1. Personalised Reading Intervention: Each student receives a tailored reading plan based on their NGRT result and this was shared with all staff. We deliver Lexonik Advance and Lexonik Leap interventions, both of which have been successful for us. We supplement this with bespoke reading support for small numbers of students outside the Lexonik packages.


2. CPD: Taking a steer from the Right to Succeed project training and the wealth of research from the EEF guidance report: Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools, I focussed on:

• whole school reading for pleasure through the library and a form time reading curriculum (Recommendation 1)
• the explicit teaching of vocabulary (Recommendation 2)
• developing teachers’ skills in guided reading and extended writing (Recommendation 3&4)

3. Communication: Regularly communicating the progress we are making, with the staff has been integral. Listening to feedback and engaging with honest reflection, I have been able to reshape communication, revisiting key elements of the brief and this remains a priority as we go forward.

Overcoming Challenges

Throughout the implementation phase, I encountered various challenges. Some students were resistant to interventions, while others faced personal issues that affected their reading progress. This is where empathy and patience became crucial. Listening to students’ concerns and providing emotional support was as important as the academic strategies. Many students had long held low self-esteem about reading, unpicking this at an individual level and celebrating successes was vital.

As a school we have been RI for a long time, one of the drawbacks of this being, the constant implementation of new ideas, which has caused some colleagues to become ​‘initiative weary’. This fatigue in RI schools is well documented and it was important to lead this strategy respectively. In leading the RDL team and then the wider teaching team, ensuring that everyone was motivated and aligned with the project’s goals required continuous effort and a genuine understanding for the level of work being requested. Regular meetings, feedback sessions and professional development opportunities helped in maintaining a cohesive and motivated team.


Measuring Success and Reflecting on Outcomes

Success has been measured through regular assessments and feedback from both students and teachers. Seeing students make progress, however small, continues to be immensely rewarding. It is important to celebrate these achievements to boost morale and motivation. Through our internal Quality Assurance Framework, leaders have been encouraged to reflect on the progress of literacy in their relevant areas. Regularly writing impact reports for stakeholders has given me opportunities to reflect on the progress data and refine what we measure. Sharing the improvements with staff has created a culture of shared pride, which was vital in setting an impetus for the next step of the plan.

Reflecting on the outcomes, I feel that the impact of this work goes beyond improving reading skills. It fosters a love for reading for children who might not have done so, builds confidence where it was lacking and I am hopeful it will lead to improved overall academic performance. For me, the most significant learning has been an enhanced understanding of the power of collaboration and the importance of strategy in planning for improvement.

Leading Reading and Disciplinary Literacy in Great Academy Ashton has been a transformative experience. It reinforced my belief in the importance of reading, as the OECD (2021) argue that finding ways to engage students in reading and developing the habit of reading has the potential to leverage social change. It is thus a matter of social justice ​‘reading for pleasure is the right of every child’ (ILA, 2019, Right 5). This leadership journey was filled with learning, growth and a profound sense of fulfilment. As I move forward, I carry with me the lessons learned and the inspiration to continue making a positive impact in this area.