Literacy and Numeracy

Literacy

At Blaenbaglan Primary School, we follow the Read Write Inc. programmes for literacy. Younger pupils are taught through Read Write Inc. Phonics, while older pupils progress to Read Write Inc. Literacy and Language.

Through these programmes, pupils develop the essential skills of oracy, reading and writing in an engaging and meaningful way. They learn to speak and write confidently for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Pupils remain in Read Write Inc. Phonics groups until they have secured their decoding skills and can read at an appropriate pace with increasing fluency. Once they progress to Literacy and Language groups, the focus shifts towards reading for understanding and developing deeper comprehension skills.

Reading at Home

Reading is a major priority at Blaenbaglan, and this is reflected in the importance we place on reading homework. Although we do not believe in overloading pupils with homework, regular reading at home plays a vital role in their progress.

Pupils in Read Write Inc. Phonics groups will bring home a physical reading book once a week to enjoy with a parent or carer. Please note that a new book cannot be issued until the previous book has been returned. A charge of £5 will apply to books that are lost or damaged.

Pupils in Literacy and Language groups will bring home a physical book from our Bug Club reading scheme, which is designed to develop reading comprehension. As part of their reading homework, pupils will also answer comprehension questions online using the ActiveLearn platform.

In addition, pupils in Literacy and Language groups will be asked to complete a short piece of written homework once every fortnight.

Numeracy

Numeracy approach

We have recently overhauled our approach to numeracy and now follow a mastery model. Rather than moving pupils on to new topics too quickly, we ensure that they have secured each skill before helping them explore it in greater depth. This allows pupils to develop a stronger understanding and apply their knowledge confidently in different situations.

Times Tables

We place great importance on pupils knowing their times tables. From Year 2 onwards, pupils will complete a short times table check each week. This will include quick-fire multiplication questions as well as the associated division facts.

Being able to recall these facts quickly supports pupils when completing more challenging calculations, such as finding fractional quantities. Please encourage your child to practise and learn their times tables regularly at home.

Supporting Numeracy at Home

Parents and carers often ask how they can support numeracy development at home. Times table practice is valuable, but everyday skills such as telling the time, calculating change and counting forwards and backwards in different steps are equally important.

The most effective practice often happens naturally through everyday activities. You might ask your child to calculate how long it will be until food is ready, help count money in a shop or work out how much change to expect. Incorporating simple mathematics into daily life can be much more meaningful and engaging than asking children to complete additional written questions.

If you would like further advice about supporting your child’s numeracy skills at home, please contact their class teacher.