During the last seven years Leighton Primary School has been making some remarkable improvements in literacy by injecting innovative and exciting ideas into lessons.
In this programme, Karen Baxter, a Year 3 teacher, uses a visit from Bentley Motors to stimulate fiction writing. She is constantly assessing targets to make sure her pupils move smoothly from one year to the next.
To help the school's drive for consistency, the literacy and assessment coordinators organise a moderation exercise each year for all staff. Teachers and TAs are expected to know where children are at with their learning and what they need to progress.
Pupils are also set targets, and are allowed to put smiley faces on their books when they improve. Wendy Hardman, geography coordinator and a Year 5 teacher, asks her pupils to write a persuasive piece on a research topic.
