Literacy and Numeracy Catch Up Funding

For​ ​2017-2018,​ ​TKA​ ​will​ ​receive​ ​£7500​ ​based​ ​on​ ​providing​ ​£500​ ​support​ ​to​ ​15​ ​pupils.

Numeracy

The​ ​recent​ ​DfE​ ​report​ ​into​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of​ ​numeracy​ ​and​ ​literacy​ ​catch-up​ ​funding*​ ​revealed​ ​that​ ​there​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​limited evidence​ ​on​ ​the​ ​efficacy​ ​of​ ​catch-up​ ​interventions​ ​specifically​ ​for​ ​low​ ​attaining​ ​Year​ ​7​ ​pupils,​ ​primarily​ ​because​ ​little research​ ​has​ ​been​ ​done​ ​in​ ​this​ ​area.​  ​At​ ​TKA,​ ​instead​ ​of​ ​only​ ​targeting​ ​small​  ​groups​ ​or​ ​individuals,​ ​we​ ​intend​ ​to​ ​run​ ​the Numeracy​ ​Ninjas​ ​programme​ ​to​ ​benefit​ ​not​ ​only​ ​those​ ​pupils​ ​who​ ​are​ ​below​ ​age-related​ ​expectations​ ​but​ ​all​ ​Year​ ​7 pupils.​ ​However,​ ​we​ ​have​ ​identified​ ​a​ ​group​ ​of​ ​5​ ​pupils​ ​who​ ​will​ ​be​ ​monitored​ ​very​ ​closely.

Numeracy​ ​Ninjas​ ​is​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​fill​ ​gaps​ ​in​ ​pupils’​ ​basic​ ​mental​ ​calculation​ ​strategies.​  ​It​ ​also​ ​aims​ ​to​ ​empower​ ​them with​ ​the​ ​numeracy​ ​skills​ ​and​ ​fluency​ ​required​ ​to​ ​fully ​ ​access​ GCSE​ ​​Maths​ ​concepts​ ​when​ ​they​ move​ ​​to​ ​Key​ ​Stage​ ​4 study.​   ​A​ ​2016​ ​research​ ​study​ ​by​ ​Wyvern​ ​College** ​ ​(​ a​ ​​large​ ​comprehensive​ ​secondary​ ​school)​ ​into ​the​​ ​impact ​​of​ ​using Numeracy​ ​Ninjas​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​numeracy​ ​fluency​ ​of​ ​KS3​ ​pupils​ ​showed​ ​significant​ ​results,​  ​Numeracy​ ​Ninjas​ ​increased​ ​the average​ ​pupil’s​ ​gain​ ​in​ ​fluency​ ​with​ ​mental​ ​calculation​ ​strategies​ ​by​ ​at​ ​least​ ​an​ ​additional​ ​70%​ ​when​ ​compared​ ​to​ ​the gains​ ​made​ ​by​ ​a​ ​control​ ​cohort.

The​ ​implementation​ ​of​ ​this​ ​programme​ ​is​ ​consistent​ ​with​ ​the​ ​school’s​ ​philosophy​ ​and​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​teaching​ ​maths​ ​at​ ​all stages.

TKA​ ​Approach​ ​to​ ​Maths​ ​Teaching

In​ ​each​ ​lesson​ ​pupils​ ​complete​ ​a​ ​5​ ​minute​ ​skills​ ​test​ ​which​ ​includes:

  • 10​ ​questions​ ​on​ ​mental​ ​numeracy​ calculation​ ​ ​strategies;
  • 10​ ​times​ ​tables​ ​questions;
  • 10​ ​questions​ ​on​ ​key​ ​topics​ ​that​ ​must ​be​​ ​mastered​ ​before​ ​studying​ ​GCSE​ ​

The​ ​tests​ ​are​ ​marked​ ​in​ ​class​ ​by​ ​pupils​ ​who​ ​record​ ​their​ ​Ninja​ ​Score​ ​out​ ​of​ ​30.​ ​This​ ​corresponds​ ​to​ ​a​ ​particular​ ​colour Ninja​ ​Belt​ ​and​ ​only​ ​a​ ​Ninja​ ​Score​ ​of​ ​30​ ​will​ ​earn​ ​pupils​ ​the​ ​coveted​ ​Black​ ​Ninja​ ​Belt.​   ​Teachers​ ​then​ ​discuss​ ​key​ ​mental numeracy​ ​strategies​ ​related​ ​to​ ​the​ ​questions​ ​with​ ​the​ ​class,​ ​before​ ​carrying​ ​on​ ​with​ ​their​ ​teaching​ ​of​ ​new​ ​learning material.​  ​The​ ​repetitive​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​this​ ​approach​ ​should​ ​be​ ​effective​ ​in​ ​establishing​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​command​ ​of​ ​basic​ ​maths skills​ ​at​ ​this​ ​crucial​ ​KS3​ ​stage.

The​ ​intention​ ​is​ ​to​ ​implement​ ​Numeracy​ ​Ninjas​ ​in​ ​maths​ ​lessons​ ​3​ ​to​ ​4​ ​times​ ​per​ ​week​ ​from​ ​January​ ​2018.​  ​All​ ​pupils​ ​will participate​ ​and​ ​benefit​ ​initially,​ ​even​ ​HPA​ ​pupils​ ​who​ ​may​ ​have​ ​gaps.​ ​However,​ ​pupils​ ​who​ ​struggle​ ​will​ ​be​ ​targeted​ ​for intervention​ ​during​ ​Aspire-SMART​ ​sessions​ ​by​ ​an​ ​intervention​ ​teacher.​ ​Intervention​ ​will​ ​be​ ​done​ in​ ​response​ ​to​ ​actual struggle​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​anticipated​ ​struggle,​ ​though​ ​we​ ​will​ ​be​ ​monitoring​ ​the​ ​progress​ ​of​ ​the​ ​identified​ ​catch-up​ ​cohort very​ ​closely.

Intervention​ ​will​  ​occur​ ​during​ ​Aspire-SMART​ ​and​ ​assembly​ ​3​ ​to​ ​4​ ​times​ ​per​ ​week,​ ​when​ ​a​ ​member​ ​of​ ​staff​ ​can​ ​be consistently​ ​available​ ​for​ ​intervention​ ​and​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​learning​ ​in​ ​lessons.​ ​A​ ​pupil​ ​will​ ​not​ ​be​ ​withdrawn​ ​for intervention​ ​more​ ​than​ ​twice​ ​per​ ​week.

Access​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Numeracy​ ​Ninjas​ ​scheme​ ​is​ ​free,​ ​however,​ ​numeracy​ ​catch-up​ ​funding​ ​will​ ​be​ ​required​ ​for​ ​the photocopying​ ​of​ ​booklets​ ​since​ ​the​ ​tests​ ​do​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​done​ ​on​ ​paper,​ ​as​ ​working​ ​may​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​shown.​ ​The​ ​cost​ ​of using​ ​the​ ​intervention​ ​tutor​ ​for​ ​this​ ​purpose​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​as​ ​a​ ​form​ ​tutor​ ​will​ ​also​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​covered.

*Literacy​ ​and​ ​numeracy​ ​catch-up​ ​strategies, ​​November​ ​2017,​ ​Department​ ​for​ ​Education

**The​ ​impact​ ​of​ ​using​ ​Numeracy​ ​Ninjas​ ​on​ ​the​ ​numeracy​ ​fluency​ ​of​ ​KS3​ ​Pupils​ ​in​ ​a​ ​large​ ​comprehensive ​​secondary​ ​ school,​ ​William​ ​Emeny,​ ​10​ ​June​ 2016

 

Literacy

Using​ ​KS2​ ​data,​ ​baseline​ ​reading​ ​and​ ​writing​ ​assessments,​ ​and​ ​NGRTs​ ​a​ ​cohort​ ​performing​ ​below​ ​age-related expectations​ ​has​ ​been​ ​identified.​ ​This​ ​cohort​ ​will​ ​then​ ​be​ ​tested​ ​in​ ​more​ ​depth​ ​by​ ​the​ ​SEND​ ​team​ ​to​ ​ascertain​ ​the specific​ ​literacy​ ​related​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Pupils​ ​within ​ ​this​ cohort,​​ ​using​ ​assessments​ ​underpinned​ ​by ​the​​ ​simple ​​view​ ​of reading* ​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Dual​ ​Route​ ​Cascaded ​​Model**.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​allow​ ​the​ ​group​ ​to​ ​be​ ​subdivided​ ​into​ ​smaller​ ​cohorts​ ​for specific​ ​and​ ​targeted​ ​literacy​ ​interventions:

  1. Phonics-​ ​Aimed​ ​at​ ​pupils​ ​who​ ​need​ ​to​ ​develop ​their​​ ​phonological​ ​awareness​ ​and​ ​decoding​​​ ​This intervention​ ​will​ ​involve​ ​short,​ ​regular​ ​sessions​ ​during​ ​form​ ​times​ ​(2​ ​a​ ​week)​ ​with​ ​pupils​ ​developing phonological​ ​awareness​ ​and​ ​decoding​ ​skills.​ ​The​ ​inclusion​ ​team​ ​will​ ​use​ ​the​ ​ReadWriteInc​ ​programme​ ​to support​ ​Pupil​ ​development.
  2. Comprehension-​ ​AImed​ ​at​ ​pupils​ ​who​ ​have​ ​good​ ​decoding ​skills​​ ​but​ ​need​ ​to​ ​develop​ their​​ ​language comprehension​ ​​ ​Pupils​ ​with​ ​comprehension​ ​needs​ ​(often​ ​EAL)​ ​will​ ​be​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​specific​ ​intervention sessions​ ​led​ ​by​ ​English​ ​specialists​ ​which​ ​will​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​age​ ​appropriate​ ​texts.​ ​In​ ​addition​ ​these pupils​ ​will​ ​be​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​a​ ​parental​ ​reader​ ​programme​ ​which​ ​will​ ​take​ ​place​ ​once​ ​a​ ​week​ ​in​ ​form​ ​times.
  3. Orthographic​ ​input​ ​development-​ ​Aimed​ ​at​ ​pupils​ ​who​ ​need ​the​​ ​develop​ ​their​ ​lexical​ ​store​ and​​ ​semantic schemas.​ ​Those​ ​pupils​ ​identified​ ​as​ ​having​ ​an​ ​underdeveloped​ ​lexicon​ ​will​ ​be​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​interventions​ ​based around​ ​developing​ ​their​ ​lexical​ ​store​ ​and​ ​familiarity​ ​with​ ​irregular​ ​word​ ​​ ​They​ ​will​ ​develop​ ​a​ ​bank​ ​of​ ​key vocabulary​ ​across​ ​their​ ​subjects​ ​and​ ​use​ ​memorisation​ ​and​ ​testing​ ​techniques​ ​to​ ​embed​ ​these​ ​words​ ​into​ ​their working​ ​memory.

In​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​this​ ​all​ ​pupils​ ​in​ ​the​ ​cohort​ ​will​ ​have​ ​access​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Lexia​ ​Learning​ ​programme​ ​for​ ​online​ ​learning​ ​and development​ ​at​ ​home.

The​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​these​ ​interventions​ ​is​ ​minimal​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​the​ ​the​ ​resources​ ​required​ ​either​ ​already​ ​exist​ ​within​ ​the​ ​relevant departments​ ​or​ ​can​ ​be​ ​easily​ ​produced​ ​at​ ​a​ ​minimal​ ​cost.​ ​The​ ​only​ ​significant​ ​outlay​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​Lexia​ ​Learning subscription.​ ​The​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​using​ ​SEND​ ​and​ ​English​ ​staff​ ​to​ ​deliver​ ​interventions​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​be​ ​considered.

*The​ ​simple​ view​ ​ of​ ​ reading,​ ​​Gough ​ &​​ ​Tunmer,​ ​1986

**Nonword​ ​reading:​ ​comparing​ ​dual-route ​ cascaded​ ​ and​ ​​connectionist​ ​dual-process ​ models​ ​ ​with ​ human​ ​ ​data”Pritchard ​ SC,​ ​ Coltheart​ ​ M,​ ​ Palethorpe​ ​ S,​ Castles​ ​A,​ ​2012

 

Numeracy and Literacy Impact Statement 2016 – 2017

You can view the Numeracy and Literacy Impact statement for 2016-17 via this link