NATE Statement on KS3 Literacy Strategy

The following statement has been sent in January 2002 to all Heads of English in England by the National Association for the Teaching of English:

The pilot year for the NLS in secondary schools is over and, although the KS3 Framework is non-statutory, many English departments may feel under pressure to implement it. There have been a number of articles and reports in the press and NATE publications about the pilot and you will be aware of the debate that is going on. The general consensus seems to be that although we can welcome aspects of the NLS, English teachers have concerns about a number of issues. We thought it might be useful to pass on to you some of the comments teachers have made to us and the advice they have offered to each other.

The Framework is non-statutory and should be used flexibly. Teachers should remember that they are free to take out of it what is useful to their particular group of students. The teaching of reading and writing is too subtle and complex to be limited simply to the discrete skills which the Literacy Strategy is intended to promote. Teachers should not feel that they have to cover all of the objectives but should prioritise them according to their pupils' needs. It is important not to lose sight of extended reading and writing and for pupils to enjoy literature for its own sake and not just as a vehicle for language study. It is also important to remember that the strategy is supposed to address literacy across the curriculum and a number of the styles of non-fiction writing can be addressed in other subject areas as well as English.

Teachers should start by looking at the framework for Year 7 and seeing how it fits in with their Year 7 Schemes of Work - they shouldn't try to do more than one year because there isn't enough time and the extra workload is already considerable. The Year 7 students have all been through the Literacy Hour in primary school and should be familiar with a number of things in the framework so schemes of work should be adapted with this in mind. The NLS suggests that teachers start with schemes of work they already use and identify which of the framework objectives are already being met or can be met by a different emphasis or addition. They should not be tempted to rewrite all schemes of work or throw everything out.

Although 'starter activities' can be effective, it is best to have them linked to the lesson and they do not have to happen in every lesson. Some of the objectives in the framework, especially those linked to spelling, could best be delivered in a short unit on spelling for a few lessons between units of work. Above all, consider how word and sentence level work can support whole text work rather than the other way round.

It is important that the SMT in schools understand the workload implications, are prepared to support the department with time allocation and funding and are realistic about what is achievable. English teachers must be given the opportunity not only to attend the training, but also to debate aspects of the strategy with each other and with Literacy Co-ordinators or Advisers. They should be given the freedom to be flexible about its implementation.

The optional tests for Year 7 and 8 imposed on the pilot schools were widely regarded by teachers as inappropriate, containing far too much reading for the time allowed, with problematic phrasing and setting out of questions and a very rigid mark scheme that seemed to penalise rather than reward. There is a real danger that they will dominate and narrow the curriculum. Whether or not they provide a model which could be developed in the future to be genuinely diagnostic is open to debate. In their present form they do not seem at all useful and they should be avoided. However, teachers may want to break them up and use bits of them with whole classes or small groups as part of their own formative assessment. It is hoped that QCA will produce frameworks for supporting teacher assessment of KS3 coursework that could be used in place of the tests.

There are many good things in the Framework and teachers should look to it for ideas about ways to develop their teaching and raise standards. However, it will only add to their expertise if teachers use their professional judgement to experiment with it and adapt it to the particular needs of their own students. It must be seen as a framework, not a prescription.

Further Information and Contacts
The results of our survey of pilot schools have been published and are available from NATE.

NATE is running courses to inform and support colleagues. Information available from NATE office, www.nate.org.uk.

Comments about the KS3 NLS should be passed on to Anne Barnes, Chair of NATE's 9-14 (KS3) committee, at annebarnes@btinternet.com. Please let us know if you do not wish your views to be reprinted by NATE. Alternatively you could post your comments on the NATE website at www.nate.org.uk.

If you want to be part of an e-mail network, contact John Wilks, also a member of NATE's 9-14 (KS3) committee, at wil@spwcs.freeserve.co.uk. E-mail messages with the designated subject "KS3 Network" will be forwarded to all other e-mail correspondents.

For a balanced view of the current situation we recommend Lucy Webster's article The Framework- Scaffold or Straitjacket? in the English and Media Magazine 44.