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Literacy & Reading

Literacy for Pupils

Literacy is the ability to speak, listen, read and write at a sufficiently competent level to communicate thoughts and ideas in a meaningfully and effectively way for both purpose and audience.

At Eastwood Academy, literacy and reading are at the heart of our curriculum. The Academy’s curriculum intent states:

“To provide opportunities for all pupils to develop a high level of literacy required for success in adult life.”

Developing strong literacy skills is a vital part of ensuring that all pupils can thrive across subjects and beyond school. Enhancing transferable literacy skills is therefore a key strand of the CREATE curriculum, while the love of reading is a thread that runs through lessons and many aspects of school life.

We are proud to promote a culture of literacy and reading that reflects the Academy’s core values: Compassion, Courage, Inclusive, Resilience, Respect and Integrity.

Support and Interventions

We know that pupils develop at different rates, and we provide a wide range of targeted literacy interventions to support those who need additional help. Our provision includes:

Hackney Lit Programme (KS4): This is designed for pupils with a lower reading age, helping them to improve not only their reading ability but also their confidence in tackling texts across the curriculum.
That Reading Thing (KS3 & KS4): A mature phonics-based programme that supports older pupils with vocabulary, comprehension, and decoding, ensuring that gaps in early literacy are addressed in a way that feels age-appropriate.
1:1 Support: Staff have dedicated time to work with pupils individually, providing focused guidance tailored to their specific needs.
KS3 Literacy Lessons: All KS3 pupils have a dedicated weekly Literacy lesson, where they develop core literacy skills through reading, vocabulary building, and structured discussions.

These interventions ensure that every pupil, regardless of starting point, has the support they need to make progress and build confidence in their literacy skills.

School Library

We are delighted to have a brand new school library, offering pupils access to a diverse and engaging range of books. The library is central to encouraging independent reading, supporting curriculum studies, and inspiring a lifelong love of reading. It is open every break and lunch and is run by a fantastic team of pupil librarians. It is a safe, inclusive space for pupils to spend their time reading, revising or researching.

Celebrating Literacy at Eastwood Academy

Alongside lessons and interventions, we place great importance on making literacy and reading fun, engaging and inspiring for our pupils. Throughout the year, we host a range of events and opportunities designed to promote a love of reading, writing and speaking:

World Book Day: We celebrate with exciting activities such as the decorate your form door competition, where pupils transform classroom doors into scenes or characters from books.
Year 7 Literacy Evening: Pupils and parents are invited into school to hear about the Academy’s approach to literacy and to experience the importance of reading together.
Creative Writing Competitions: Held throughout the year, these inspire pupils to showcase their imagination and talent.
Guest Speakers, Authors and Poets: We regularly welcome visiting writers to run workshops, assemblies, and drop-down days, giving pupils a chance to learn from professionals and be inspired by their craft.
Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge (Year 10): Our Year 10 pupils take part in this prestigious programme, developing their oracy, public speaking, and confidence through structured workshops and competitions.

Literacy Resources and Guidance for Parents

If parents or carers have any questions about Literacy and Reading at Eastwood Academy, they are encouraged to contact the Literacy Coordinator, Ms. L. Malliff at lmalliff@eastwood.southend.sch.uk