Literacy Policy 2012-13

1. Literacy Policy 2012-13 The following policy is based on a philosophy that underpins our commitment to raising standards in literacy at St. Augustine’s. This philosophy reflects the current national drive to raise overall standards of learning and teaching, and adheres to the recently revised Teaching Standards and to the school’s commitment to support each student to achieve his or her best both academically and personally. • Philosophy: Raising our standards in literacy is vital because it is a fundamental skill for learning; it enables students to access meaning and demonstrate their learning across the whole curriculum. Improving our students’ literacy skills increases their chances of being independent learners for life. We have a moral duty to prepare our students to be the best they possibly can be in readiness for the world beyond St. Augustine’s: by improving literacy skills, we are increasing the chances of our students being employable and also of thriving as adults in our society. Literacy teaching is the collective responsibility of every teacher. We all have a duty to improve our students’ ability to communicate effectively and this philosophy is reflected in our school’s mission statement: ‘Saint Augustine’s is a Christ-centred learning community committed to the development of the whole person’. • Aims of the literacy policy: Following a whole school audit, the following areas have been identified as needing improvement across the school and, as such, have informed the aims of this policy for the current academic year: 2012/13. Review May 2016