Literacy Support
Literacy is a right. It is implicit in the right to education. It is recognised as a right, explicitly for both children and adults, in certain international conventions and is included in key international declarations.
The rationale for recognising literacy as a right is the set of benefits it confers on individuals, families, communities and nations. Indeed, it is widely reckoned that, in modern societies ‘literacy skills are fundamental to informed decision-making, personal empowerment, active and passive participation in local and global social community.’ (Stromquist, 2005)
An ever increasing amount of importance is being placed on the use of spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) for students at GCSE and the quality of written communication at A ‘Level, and at Hinchley Wood School we have a whole-school commitment to ensure that every child is fully prepared to achieve well here as well as having good literacy skills for later life.
Students have been introduced to the ‘Naughty Forty’ list of words – those being the forty most commonly misspelt words in Hinchley Wood School – and are encouraged to actively use these in their subjects to ensure familiarity. Students in Key Stage Three are tested on these regularly in English. Other Literacy activities are delivered through tutor time too, where common mistakes are highlighted and rectified, such as the use of apostrophes and capital letters as well as whole-school competitions and initiatives.
On this section of the website you can find these tutor activities should you wish to work on these with your child at home, as well as other useful information, such as the ‘Naughty Forty’ list of words and a list of which current GCSE subjects are subject to separate spelling, punctuation and grammar marks.