NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY FRAMEWORK

NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY FRAMEWORK FEBRUARY 2013

National Literacy and Numeracy Framework • The final version of the LNF has been published on the Welsh Government website - Dysgu Cymru/ Learning Wales (28.1.13). • The Framework will become statutory and all schools will be required to implement it with pupils in each Year (from Reception to Year 9) from September this year (2013). • From September 2014,assessments against the LNF will become a requirement. It is therefore important for schools to begin planning and implementing the LNF as soon as possible. • The LNF will replace the Developing communication and numeracy skills elements of the non-statutory Skills framework, but the Developing thinking and ICT elements are still in operation.

Literacy Literacy skills are essential for learners’ understanding in all the curriculum’s subjects. • In schools, responsibility for developing and evaluating literacy skills rests with all teachers and not just the language specialist(s). • All learners are expected to apply and extend their literacy skills across all subject areas. • The LNF’s literacy component will help teachers address the literary skills requirements of the English/Welsh programmes of study. All learners are expected to apply and extend their literacy skills across the curriculum.

Structure of the LNF • The LNF focuses on the learners’ acquisition of and ability to apply the skills and concepts they have learned to complete realistic tasks appropriate for their stage of development. • Expectations are placed on each school year, from Reception Class to Year 9, in each of the elements and aspects. • The LNF is intended to include all learners, including those with Additional Learning Needs (ALN). • The LNF Routes to Literacy components describe progression from the Foundation Phase for learners with ALN.

Curriculum Planning Tool The LNF: • replaces the Developing communication and Developing number elements of the Skills framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales, whilst retaining the Developing thinking and Developing ICT elements; • is a statutory curricular requirement; • builds on current good practice in a number of schools; • gives teachers of all subjects information on how they can provide opportunities for learners to apply literacy and numeracy across the curriculum.

The Literacy component is divided into the following strands. • Within literacy, the strands are: • oracy across the curriculum • reading across the curriculum • writing across the curriculum. The literacy strands are further divided into elements. The literacy elements are sub-divided again into aspects, for convenience.

Literacy – structure

Inclusion of all learners The LNF: • focuses on learners acquiring skills and being able to apply the skills learnt to complete tasks which are appropriate to their stage of development. • identifies expectations for each school year, from Reception Class to Year 9, in all elements/aspects. • is planned to be inclusive of all learners, including those with additional learning needs (ALN) and more able and talented learners.

Mapping progression in literacy elements/aspects of the LNF • Knowing where the LNF skills are used across the curriculum and in work/learning plans is essential. • However, in order to use mapping work to plan the curriculum successfully, teachers need to know where and how the specific element/aspect is first introduced and how it is then developed across the curriculum and within subjects.

Setting tasks for every learner Learners may progress slower or faster in some literacy and numeracy skills than in others, with achievements spanning several columns. This may apply particularly to: • learners with ALN • more able and talented learners. Tasks should provide sufficient challenge to ensure that every learner can make progress, e.g. by providing relevant assistance for ALN pupils and by extending the breadth, depth and complexity of tasks for more able and talented learners.

Assessment Tool The LNF will be used formatively to: • support learners’ progress, plan the classroom layout and plan the curriculum – assessment will be narrative, not a ‘best-fit’ approach • assess individual progress for: • setting ‘next steps’ tasks • informal discussion with learners, parents/carers and between teachers about learners’ current strengths and areas for development • assess the progress of the class, cohort, key stage/phase or subject, and use the assessment to inform curriculum and school development planning.

How the LNF can support progression in literacy • The LNF describes the basic literacy and numeracy skills that should be developed across the curriculum. • It roughly outlines the expectations for progression in these skills. • It offers opportunities to practice, consolidate and extend learning in these transferrable skills through the curricular areas in order to meet the needs of various learners, recognising that children and young people will progress at different rates.

Assessment Tool The LNF is an assessment tool. • It is intended to be used formatively to support the progress of learners, plan the classroom layout and plan the curriculum. • Any assessment will be narrative, allowing for flexibility in the learner’s progress. • It is not intended to take a ‘best-fit’ approach.

How will the LNF be used? Teachers will use the LNF to: • assess individual progress in order to inform discussions about learners’ current strengths and areas for development: • with learners • with parents/carers • between teachers • assess group progress to inform curriculum and school development planning.

Reporting Progression in the LNF shows how learners should be performing against the expectations by the end of each academic year. • Reporting should: • be narrative in its format rather than a single statement about whether a learner is working at/above/below the expected level for their age • describe the learner’s progress, areas of strength and ‘next steps’ for development. • schools will be required to: • plan for cross-curricular assessment • report on individual progress, strengths and areas for development to parents/carers on an annual basis • report on overall progress and standards across the school in terms of the LNF, as part of the governors’ annual report.

Tracking There are several approaches to tracking learners’ progress in their literacy and numeracy skills. Continuous formative assessment will provide the ‘next steps’ for each learner. The national reading and numeracy tests will provide summative data/information about the current position of each learner at that time of the year.

Reporting Progression through the LNF will show how learners are performing against the expectations for literacy and numeracy at the end of each academic year. • There will be no national data collection. • Teachers will not be expected, nor would it be appropriate, to use the LNF to arrive at a single statement about whether a learner is working at/above/below the expected level for their age. • The LNF and assessment against it should be used to help describe a learner’s progress, areas of strength and next steps for development.

Timetable

READING TEST • The reading test will be available in two parts. There will be a statutory ‘core’ test which will produce robust, comparative data allowing teachers to understand their pupils’ reading ability. • Also, there will be a series of non-statutory test materials, designed to be more formative, which will support teachers in identifying the needs of individuals or groups of learners. • For our younger pupils, the numeracy and reading tests may be carried out in shorter sessions, so that they are not required to sit tests for a whole hour if schools feel that this would help them to do their best. • The tests can be taken over a period of a fortnight according to which timetabling arrangements best suit the schools. The dates are between 8 and 22 May 2013.

LNF • Announced by the Minister on 5 December, the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework: • will become a statutory curriculum requirement from September 2013, with formal assessment against the National LNF becoming a statutory requirement from September 2014. Assessment against the Framework will be introduced gradually, and schools will have a full academic year to focus on embedding the LNF into their curriculum planning and their teaching and learning before being required to assess learners’ progress against it. There has been no change to the timetable for introducing numeracy and literacy tests, which will take place in May 2013.

will be supported by a suite of online bilingual guidance and training materials, which are currently being developed to help schools implement the National LNF before it becomes statutory in September 2013; • receive the support of the National Support Programme funded by the Welsh Government to offer free hands-on support to schools and teachers. The Programme has already begun and the first provision will be free regional events in March. The Programme is tailored to address the needs of schools, learners and teachers. The events will also provide useful information about reading and numeracy tests. Commercial providers will probably contact you offering training, which they will charge for. Be aware that if it is not called the National Support Programme, it has nothing to do with this programme.

TIMETABLE • February 2013Tests – samples of the reading tests and numeracy tests will be available on the Learning Wales website.Tests – guidelines on administrating the tests will be available on the Learning Wales website.May 2013 Tests – procedural reading and numeracy tests conducted for the first time. You will receive an e-mail stating that your tests have been sent to you. • June 2013Tests - Learners’ marks will be uploaded into a system which will calculate their results and compile a report.

July 2013Tests – school and pupil reports will be sent to schools • September 2013The Literacy and Numeracy Framework will become a statutory curriculum requirementMay 2014Tests – the numeracy reasoning test conducted for the first timeMay 2014Tests – procedural reading and numeracy tests conducted for the second timeSeptember 2014The Literacy and Numeracy Framework – formal assessment against the Framework becomes a statutory requirement

Dates for your Diary: • Free Training: Sessions have been organised for the following dates – 8 March (Llandudno); 12 March (Cardiff); 13 March (Swansea) and 14 March (Chepstow). Further details and booking arrangements available on 18 February 2013.

NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY FRAMEWORK