Dovedale Primary School awarded model school status
by Educate Magazine October 30, 2018 · All News / Primary School News
Dovedale Primary School, Liverpool has been appointed as a Read Write Inc. Model School as a result of their excellent literacy teaching in 2018.
The programme, a reading and writing programme created by Ruth Miskin and published by Oxford University Press is for 4-8 year-olds and taught for one hour every day using a phonic-approach. Children experience success from the very beginning.
Lively reading books are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and ‘tricky’ words and, as children re-read the stories, their fluency increases. Along with a thought-provoking introduction, prompts for thinking out loud and discussion, children are helped to read with a storyteller’s voice.
The children write every day, rehearsing out loud what they want to say – drawing upon their own experiences and talking about the stories they read to build their ideas, vocabulary and grammar.
Headteacher, Nik Smith said: “We have been teaching the programme for the last three years with our results in the Year 1 phonic screening check improving year on year. This year we achieved 95% of our children reaching and exceeding the threshold compared to the national average of 82% and Liverpool’s average of 78%. We are very proud of this achievement; we are the only ‘model school’ in Liverpool.
“For us it is testament of the commitment shown by our staff and are very proud to receive this very sort after award”.
The school will be hosting a phonics road show in November and have invited local schools to see how their system works and whether it would work for them.
Ruth Miskin, creator of Read Write Inc., said: “Our Model Schools demonstrate an inspirational passion and excitement for teaching. Their attention to detail and focus on continuous professional development marks them out and is the key to their success in getting every child to read by the age of six.
“No child should get left behind and with the right teaching and assessments we can ensure every child is understood and the gaps in their knowledge identified and addressed”.
