1. Destination Reader subscriptions for KS2 schools

To enable access to the programme support and resources. PEIA funding is facilitating the 2024-2025 annual DR subscription.

2. Destination Reader visits

Visits from Hackney and Portsmouth DR lead practitioners to support DR schools. Portsmouth DR lead practitioners have been allocated to all 22 schools signed up to the programme.

3. Key stage 1 phonics work and resources

As a follow-up to Springhill English Hub for 10 target schools (per year).

4. Key stage 2 and 3 phonics work

5. Big City Read

6a. PEP Primary English Network meetings

Sessions will focus on diagnostic assessment, pathways and interventions, as well as developing subject leaders to improve literacy across the city.

Building better writing – KS1 and 2 teachers | Tuesday 8 October 2024, 1pm – 3pm
This course looks at how to build on children’s existing knowledge and close gaps in learning. The course will consider the progression in written skills in the national curriculum, the common errors made by children and explore ways to overcome these. The course will also consider the role of ongoing to teacher assessment and how adaptive teaching can be used to the benefit of all children.

Smashing sentences – KS1 and 2 teachers | Thursday 7 November 2024, 1pm – 3pm
Clear, accurate sentences are essential for written communication. The course considers the essential ingredients required for sentence writing and applies this to explore some of the common challenges children encounter such as subject/ verb agreement, comma splicing and run-on sentences.

Crafting a curriculum – KS1 and 2 teachers | Tuesday 21 January 2025, 1pm – 3pm
This course looks at how to develop sequenced, progressive literacy learning. The course considers the role of model (mentor) texts and the need for children to write for a range of purposes and audiences. The course includes reference to published material including Ofsted’s Telling the Story English subject review.

6b. PEP Secondary English Network meetings

Sessions will focus on sharing good practice and resources across our secondary schools, including the use of digital technology.

7. Training in fluency

The reading fluency project will bridge the gap between fluency and comprehension, also enabling children to feel more confident in reading and in turn read for pleasure. The progress of the children in all the schools that have used this has been incredible. This project is versatile and can be run by teachers or TAs; it works for all key stages and is easy to implement.

If you are interested in this project beyond the introduction session led by Sarah Hilditch, please contact Lauren to book some time for Sarah to work in your school.

8. Literacy support for secondary schools

Support can be provided from a colleague member of the areas below:

• PEP Early Language and Literacy Development group, e.g. phonics
• Secondary English Network group, e.g. use of a self-assessment toolkit and other resources
• PCC Educational Psychologist team, e.g. students struggling with reading

These visits aim to provide support around training and supervision, completion and analysis of a literacy self-assessment toolkit and signpost resources and reporting to school leaders.

9. Home learning environment

A series of learning cards to be published on the PEP and Family Assist websites.

10. Poetry projects

10a. Poet Laureates

Following the success of the Poet Laureates Project this year, in which our Laureates created beautiful, inspired pieces about their environments with the guidance of our Portsmouth Pupil Poet Laureate, Dawn Nelson, we are opening this opportunity out again to year 4-7 students for the coming academic year, funded through the PEIA.

Dawn is a local writer, storyteller and consultant who specialises in creating resources and performance stories which bring nature and landscape to life. If you haven’t heard her storytelling, her website is well worth a visit – scroll to the bottom of the homepage to see her re-telling the story of ‘Cerridwen’s Cauldron’.

For academic year 2024-2025, this programme will be run through podcasts and resources which will be shared with schools, so that it can be delivered in a way which suits you, such as after school clubs or through your curriculum.

Per term, Dawn will provide:

• 1 x broadcast which includes an outline of what students will be covering in their teacher facilitated, poetry club/workshop sessions, along with information on the term’s theme;
• Lesson plans for 3 x 1-hour poetry club/workshops, including a list of resources and any links to online resources that you may need;
• 1 x traditionally told story to include verse and demonstrate poetic language and performance, in the form of a video for use in an assembly that term.

All of this will be provided alongside the opportunity to liaise with Dawn who can provide further support throughout the project’s delivery. We are currently looking at a celebration event which would be face-to-face and in the summer term next year.

10b. Sounds of the Sea

The Sounds of the Sea poetry project focuses on both the joy of performance poetry alongside building the skills essential to good reading comprehension: fluency and oracy. The scheme has been written and resourced by Bryony Hart at Portsmouth Grammar School and is in its pilot stage. If your school are interested in building these vital skills in a creative and engaging way, there is an opportunity to work with Bryony to trial and build upon the initial planning materials and access her expertise and resources, funded through the PEIA.

12. Working with primary schools to improve children’s writing

The EEF research-based writing project can be tailored to your setting. It enhances schools’ writing journeys by adding in key aspects, some of which include vocabulary synonym banks, a process for modelling and structured editing.

The package includes an INSET or PDM, then a minimum of five days support from Sarah Hilditch. This will be bespoke to the school but might include writing reviews, planning support, team teaching, assessment support and gap analysis.