HOME ABOUT COV19/HOME LEARN CURRICULUM INFORMATION STUDENT CALENDAR STATUTORY CONTACT US HomeLiteracy LITERACY Welcome to Bedford High School Literacy Learning Page This site has been designed to offer support, guidance and resources to students, staff, parents, and carers. You will find lots of information to engage, enthuse and to improve literacy skills. What is Literacy? Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world. At Bedford High School, our goal is to develop world class learners. We recognise that literacy is the essential foundation of education. We are committed to ensuring that every student at Bedford is equipped with the skills needed to take control of their destinies, fulfil their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing and unpredictable world. Developing a love for reading is one of the most effective ways to raise attainment. It is the master skill that unlocks the academic curriculum. Confident readers achieve more highly in all subjects and this improves GCSE results. More importantly, reading helps you to build a sense of your own identity and introduces you to new and alternative experiences. You can learn about history and other cultures and different places, real and imagined. Research tells us that reading for pleasure is the single biggest factor in success in later life. Study after study has shown that those children who read for pleasure are the ones who are most likely to fulfil their ambitions. If you read, you succeed -it’s that simple! When we are experiencing unusual or unsettling times, as we are with the current Covid situation, one of the best sources of comfort or distraction is a good story we can lose ourselves in. When you’ve finished the books you have at home, you can find some brilliant free reading resources in the Lockdown Literacy Newsletters. Like what you have read? Send a review to e.rooney@bedford.wigan.sch.uk Literacy Newsletter May Literacy Newsletter April Literacy Newsletter Week 1 Literacy Newsletter Week 2 Literacy Newsletter Week 3 Literacy Newsletter Week 4 Literacy Newsletter Week 5 Literacy Newsletter Week 6 Literacy Newsletter Week 7 WORLD BOOK DAY COMPETITION FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS What can you do at Home as Parents/Carers? At Bedford High School our key literacy priorities are to: Narrow the gap between a student’s reading age and their chronological reading age by using Accelerated reader effectively. Teach students how to read a wide range of challenging texts in all subject areas. Develop a love for reading. Ensure that all students write at length in every subject and that the quality of their written work improves over time. Give our students the skills to communicate effectively and express their thoughts, feelings and opinions with confidence. What can we do at home? Reading Let them read everything and anything – comics – magazines – newspapers – graphic novels. Go to the library – in lockdown students can sign up virtually to Manchester Central Library for FREE! Details of how to register can be found in ‘Literacy Learning in Lockdown newsletter 1‘ Ask them what they are reading currently Encourage them to engage with the reading resources shared in the newsletters. Encourage them to use the Word of the Week (WOTW). Link to WOTW information Word Millionaires Congratulations to Bedford’s Word Millionaires. These students have read over 3,000,000 words between them! This is a fantastic achievement. Well done. What are your teachers reading? Writing Encourage them to write about what they read. Book reviews can be sent to Mrs Garbutt, the librarian, or Miss O’Donovan and Mrs Rooney on the literacy team. When reading, ask them to write down any new words they learn. Encourage them to use this new vocabulary in their written work and in conversations. Writing a journal or a diary can improve writing fluency. It can also help the to express their thoughts and feelings which is great for positive mental health, especially in these strange and challenging times. Speaking Let them talk at length about their interests, their learning, their worries or concerns. Start conversations about current affairs and ask them their opinions on controversial topics. Encourage them to answer questions in full sentences using Standard English – avoiding slang. Take note of what the ‘Word of the Week’ is for the upcoming week and encourage them to use it in their spoken language. Further Resources (click on the links below) How can I help at home? Literacy for Learning Virtual Conference 21-29 January includes free events for Students, Parents & Guardians, you simply register for the event. Punctuation placemat Tips for reading with your child Literacy mats Spelling. Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG) placemat Parent’s Guide to Accelerated Reader Online Literacy Resources (click on the links below) http://www.juppfamily.net/learning/literacy/index.htm https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize 100 Best Books from the Last 100 Years Follow the link below to the BookTrust website to see 100 fantastic books from the last 100 years. This list was created in 2015, but they are currently working on a revised and more up-to-date list which more adequately reflects the brilliant diversity of children’s literature over the last 100 years. However, this list is still a great resource. So, if you are looking for inspiration for what to read next – check this out! https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-12-14/ Are you looking for free audiobooks? Check out Spotify. There are many titles to choose from such as The Hunger Games, The Great Gatsby, and Captain Underpants amongst others. You can register and listen for FREE! Recommended Reading Lists (click on the links below) Year 7 and Year 8 Year 9, 10, 11 Like a Challenge? (click on the link below) KS3 Challenging Reading List KS4 Challenging Reading List Books that will… Change the way you think Help you understand Make you cry Make you laugh Scare you Teach you about love Thrill you Transport you Click on the link: Books that will…. Stuck for something to read… Try these: Year 7 playlist (The House with Chicken Legs, Sophie Anderson) Year 8 playlist (The Fastest Boy in the World, Elizabeth Laird) Year 9 playlist (The Middle of Nowhere, Geraldine McCaughrean) Year 10 playlist (Orange Boy, Patrice Lawrence) More books added every month. Recommended Reads for all Age Groups Listen to the Classics on Audible Lose yourself in classic literature – Jane Eyre, Moby Dick, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and many, many more! Audible Stories: Free Audiobooks for Kids | Audible.com Or, have a listen to a wide range of teen fictionAudible Stories: Free Audiobooks for Kids | Audible.com SEARCH CONTACT INFO Headteacher: Mr P McCaffery Address: Bedford High School, Manchester Road, Leigh, WN7 2LU Phone: 01942 909009 Email: enquiries@bedford.wigan.sch.uk TO CARE . TO LEARN . TO ACHIEVE Our students are inspired to achieve their potential through embracing our values; To Care, To Learn, To Achieve. Working in partnership we will ensure that every student leaves Bedford with a strong sense of community and ready to be the best that they can be. We have a modern outlook based on well-founded tradition and our motto ‘Bedford means Business’ reflects the ‘business-like’ environment we have developed and the unique opportunities we offer. We are very ambitious for our students and we challenge them to excel. DATA PROTECTION OFFICER CONTACT INFO The Data Protection Officer is responsible for overseeing data protection within the School so if you do have any questions in this regard, please do contact them on the information below: Data Protection Officer: Craig Stilwell Company: Judicium Consulting Ltd Address: 72 Cannon Street, London, EC4N 6AE Phone: 0203 326 9174 Email: dataservices@judicium.com Copyright © Bedford High School - Website Designed by North Star Digital (www.northstardigital.co.uk)