Contact the Literacy Service
The Literacy Service Team can be contacted for advice and information specific to children and young people who have, or may have, learning difficulties in literacy and dyslexia.
Appendix 1: Framework for conducting a whole school literacy inclusion audit
A literacy inclusion audit can ensure that a school has recognised that there may be pupils within their school population who experience specific learning difficulties that impact on their developing literacy skills. An audit can enable a school to have best practice in place when identifying the difficulties that a pupil is experiencing and can implement supportive teaching strategies that build on the pupil’s strengths.
‘Specific learning difficulties’ is an overarching term for several associated learning differences that can adversely impact a pupils age-appropriate acquisition of literacy skills.
A list of the most common occurring specific difficulties are:
- Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
- Dyslexia (reading, writing, spelling)
- Developmental Coordinator Disorder (DCD) / Dyspraxia
- Autism (social interaction, communication, interests, behaviour)
- Dyscalculia
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
These difficulties can occur across a range of abilities and with varying degrees of severity or significance. The difficulties can often be hidden, these pupils may behave just like their peers and demonstrate no immediate learning differences. Some pupils may have more than one co-occurring difference. Specific learning difficulties are lifelong conditions that can have a significant impact on a person’s life. Everyone can present with difficulties that are specific to them and can be affected by a range of factors including learning differences, their general ability, their background and opportunities. Individual pupils should be supported in a way that not only meets their difficulties but helps to develop their strengths and abilities.
Overall policy
‘Questions to Reflect Upon on the Development of Inclusive School Policies with a Focus on Literacy Support.’
Does our school ensure that literacy inclusion has its own policy, is prominent in an overall SEN (Special Educational Needs) policy or is specifically highlighted under ‘Specific Learning Difficulties / Neurodiversity’ in our schools Literacy Policy?
Has the policy and /or section been agreed by all the members of staff?
Has the policy and /or section been effectively disseminated to pupils, parents and the Board of Governors?
Have we included in our school development plan the time required to review the operation and the effectiveness of our response to ‘Specific Learning Difficulties / Neurodiversity?
Practical considerations
Does the policy establish whole school agreement on:
- Definitions and descriptions of the most prevalent specific learning difficulties and how they can impact on a pupil’s developing literacy skills?
- Practical considerations for the school environment?
- Practical considerations for individual classrooms?
- The need for differentiation in the classroom for some pupils?
- Targeted teaching and support by accurately assessing pupil needs?
- The use of High-quality targeted intervention to support pupils who are struggling?
- Effective use of Assistive Technology (AT) to provide additional reinforcement and practice of specific literacy skills (for example, using specific Literacy programmes and software)?
- Effective use of AT to support learning by enabling pupils to use it to by-pass their literacy difficulties (for example, text-to-speak, audible books, eBooks and speech-to-text)?
- Working effectively with classroom assistants, roles and responsibilities?
- Access arrangements?
Identification / Monitoring
Does the policy establish whole school agreement on:
- The use of high-quality assessment to inform learning?
- An overview of referral routes?
- Routes to identification and assessment for all specific leaning difficulties?
- Effective monitoring and assessment to inform teaching, maintain progress and support to enable the development of appropriate literacy skills?
Pupil participation
Does the policy establish whole school agreement on:
- How are pupils’ literacy needs identified and explained to pupils?
- How can pupils contribute to their own individual targets / personal learning plans?
- What effective and appropriate measures are in place for pupils experiencing emotional challenges related to their literacy difficulties?
Parental participation
Does the policy establish whole school agreement on:
- How the school actively listens and responds to parental concerns?
- How to support parents to understand how their children learn?
- Effective communication with parents, that is jargon free, informative, practical, regular and supportive?
- How the school explains the assessment process and what happens next (time board and structure)?
- How the school provides practical advice to enable parents to support their child at home?
- How parents are informed of how, effective and appropriate measures are put in place for pupils experiencing emotional challenges related to their literacy difficulties?
Training and consultation
Does the policy establish whole school agreement on:
- The need for an experience and qualified member of staff who is familiar with the key issues related to literacy development and the impact of specific learning difficulties for some pupils in our school?
- The need for an individual in school to provide demonstrations of diagnostic and standardised assessment and the use of practical materials and resources?
- An agreed time allocation to provide support to staff to meet the needs of pupils experiencing literacy difficulties?
- An agreed time allocation to contact and consult with outside agencies for advice, guidance and professional development?
Suggestions for continuing professional development
- Is there an agreed time allocation to enable staff to individually access appropriate Continued Professional Development (CPD)?
- Is there an agreed time allocation to enable whole staff to access appropriate CPD?