1. Leading Literacy Schools
for
Initial Teacher Training
wor king with the
Univer sity of Plymouth
Ann Dwyer
Working in partnership

2. Aims of the project
• To enhance the provision for ITT
trainees of phonics and early
reading through sharing good
practice with Leading Literacy
Schools
• To strengthen our partnership within
the immediate locality
(following relocation to Plymouth)
Working in partnership

3. Context
• September 08 relocated from
Exmouth to the heart of the
University campus in Plymouth city
centre
• Partnership with over 300 schools
throughout the Southwest
• 4-year primary BEd (600) & primary
PGCE (70)
Working in partnership

4. Implementation
• 08-09 initial emphasis on early reading
• Groups of students work in partner schools over
half a day to observe and work with teacher
(pre-lesson talk, lesson observation
and post-lesson feedback)
• Lectures and seminars in Faculty
led by LLS staff
• Focussed observations of systematic phonics
built into School-based Training Programme
• Ensure when trainees are placed in
R, Y1 or Y2 they are observed
teaching systematic phonics
Working in partnership

5. Discrete Phonics
• Letters and Sounds in a variety of
age groups and phases
• Segmenting, blending, reviewing,
teaching
• Practising and applying
• Actions linked with sounds,
whiteboards, talk time
• Multisensory teaching
• Use of TA to support EAL children
Working in partnership

6. Outcome 1-
Observational visits to schools
• Initial planning meetings with
nominated leading literacy schools
• Observational visit - 154 trainees
(BEd Year 3 cohort)
• Follow up seminars for trainees
(sharing good practice)
• Evaluations by trainees and schools
• Follow up meeting for schools to
celebrate and look ahead
Working in partnership

7. Trainee evaluation (1)
• Useful to look at different classes
and ages and see progression
through key stages
• Good to see a school teaching
phonics to children with EAL
• Opportunity to focus on a specific
area which may have been missed
on School Experience
• Seeing the theory put into
practice is invaluable
Working in partnership

8. Trainee evaluation (2)
• Schools had gone to a great deal of
effort to make sure visit was
beneficial - resource packs were
very useful
• Talks from school staff and Q&A
sessions very helpful - set the visit in
context
• Good to see teachers having fun
teaching - inspired me
Working in partnership

9. Outcome 2 -
Staff from LLS involvement in
the taught programme
• Core English BEd Y3
• Specialist English - the Role of the
English Co-ordinator
• PGCE Lecture
Working in partnership

10. Additional outcomes
• English specialists undertaking
research in LLS
• Faculty staff updates through day
visits to LLS
• LLS staff interviewing prospective
English students
• Requests for whole school mentor
training
• Requests for CPD to be
facilitated by Faculty staff
Working in partnership

11. Future developments
• Further years, LLS partnership to
provide trainees with the opportunity
to work in schools observing and
developing national literacy priorities
such as
• Every Child a Reader- Support for Writing
• Every Child a Talker - Talk for Writing
• Boys’ writing
• APP in Reading and Writing
(and Speaking and Listening)
Working in partnership

12. Detail 2009-10
• Observational visits for Year 1 and
Year 3
• Planned opportunities for school
staff involvement in the programmes
• Updates for Faculty staff
• Auditing trainees’ phonics
experience in school
• Specialist English trainees
undertake research projects
utilising the strengths of LLS
partners
Working in partnership