Jerry Clay Academy is passionate about ensuring every child gets through the reading gateway. We are passionate about the way we teach Phonics and reading across our academy. As a consequence of our passionate drive to ensure that every child is a reader, we have have been awarded with a DFE English Hub, ensuring that as many children as possible become readers across West Yorkshire & Lancashire.
In September 2014 we introduced Read Write Inc. into our Academy. As a team, we work rigorously to challenge ourselves on the best ways to teach Phonics through Read Write Inc. Every term we invite a RWI consultant in to work alongside, challenge and coach our staff so that we are never complacent with our methods and delivery. We believe that staff should be upskilled constantly. All new staff receive RWI training before they start with us so that consistency continues.
We have a Reading Leader in our Academy who works alongside staff, team teaches and delivers Master Classes to them every week on areas which we need to improve upon. We believe that fluent reading is developed through early language acquisition, developing a love of reading in our children & Phonics.
In September 2015 we were awarded a trained school badge from Ruth Miskin as a reward for our loyalty, improved standards and fidelity to the programme. In December 2016, we were awarded ‘Model School’ status & 2018 an English Hub to support schools across West Yorkshire & Lancashire.
We were chosen in March 2016 & November 2018 to deliver a Phonics roadshow for the Department of Education, celebrating the success which we have had and continue to have with Phonics teaching and learning. We continue to showcase Phonics to other schools and have many visitors throughout the year observing Phonics approaches within our Academy. Our teachers work alongside teachers in other schools to improve their quality of Phonics. We passionately believe that every child should become an excellent reader.
Press release on Model School Status, March 2017
Useful Read Write Inc. guides for Parents & Carers
How to teach your child the sounds using RWI
Sound blending books- An introduction for parents & carers
Introducing red ditty books – A parent/ carer guide