Core Literacy

Course Overview

Click on the subject for the relevant year group in the table below to find out more information about each course.

Literacy is a core skill which is fundamental to accessing the world around us. It creates the opportunities to unlock potential and achieve excellence. It allows us to understand, discuss, evaluate and communicate ideas, and it builds confidence and encourages a passion for lifelong learning

Ambition for our pupils

The Core Literacy programme at Sawston Village College is targeted at a cohort of pupils identified as having weaker literacy skills, relative to their peers. Its aim is to not only develop those pupils’ literacy skills but, as important, to develop their confidence in reading, writing and oracy. It seeks to help pupils develop a range of strategies to communicate ideas clearly, to comprehend complex information; to infer, interpret and think critically; to spell more accurately; and to develop a broader vocabulary. Ultimately, it aims to teach pupils to be successful communicators through written word and verbal communication.

The structure of our curriculum

Core literacy lessons are timetabled in place of a modern foreign language at key stage 3. The course covers four areas:

1. Reading – Pupils use a range of texts which vary in challenge and introduce them to a variety of literature in an accessible way, at times using abridged versions of classic literature. Pupils also regularly access current news articles to ensure they have access to both fiction and non fiction texts. 
2. Writing – Pupils learn to identify and adapt writing styles to different text types. 
3. Spelling and Grammar – This is taught through a range of strategies with a core bank of vocabulary and grammatical skills  introduced, revised and regularly revisited. 
4. Oracy – These skills are promoted in lessons through group and paired discussions, debates and performances.