Subsequently, various Uni Connect partnerships, including KMPF, NEACO, Greater Manchester Higher and the SUN sought out opportunities to collaborate with the NLT on a structured literacy CPD programme.
The Literacy for Learning CPD programme, developed and offered in partnership between the NLT and the SUN, offered a programme of professional development for teachers and focused on improving literacy in secondary schools, with a particular focus on disadvantaged students. The model of delivery enabled schools to build, consolidate and embed literacy practice within the curriculum.
The aims of the programme were to:
• Help young people acquire the literacy skills that they need to do well in all subjects and achieve their best at GCSE
• Build a community of practice by developing groups of‘ expert’ literacy leaders and practitioners
• Create a sustainable model for leadership and teaching of literacy within the curriculum
Participating schools were selected via a geographical cluster-based approach, aligning with the objective to create a regional community of practice. All participating schools were based within the Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant region and teachers took part from Park Community School, King ' s Academy Brune Park( part of GFMAT), Priory School, and Admiral Lord Nelson School.
The NLT / SUN Literacy programme ran to the following schedule:
There was also an introductory session in April 2024 for a small group of Strategic Literacy Leads within the schools involved, where the NLT and SUN outlined the objectives and set the expectations for the programme.
Evaluation
The richest and most insightful qualitative feedback was shared during the best practice practitioner-led session in January 2025. Park Community School presented a detailed outline of the training’ s impact on their teaching processes. The school had adapted the teaching of their vocabulary and reading processes across a variety of subjects, focusing particularly on English, History, Geography and RE, incorporating the
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