1st August 2012 10:39
By Blue Tutors
Catch up Classes
The government is to provide catch up classes for those pupils who do not reach level 4 by the end of primary school. BBC News Education reports that under the new scheme disadvantaged pupils, who are behind in reading and writing, are to be offered extra lessons before starting secondary school, ministers have announced.
Last year, some 100,000 11-year-olds did not reach this level - the standard expected of the age group.
The first projects will start this September and the rest from next year.
While it all sounds like good news, Nansi Ellis, head of education policy at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "We are concerned that the government seems to be rather confused about whether the funding is intended to boost literacy or to support pupils' transition from primary to secondary school.”
"While we are pleased the government says robust evidence will be used to decide which projects get funded, we are not happy about money being wasted on competitive bids.” Organisations such as schools, councils and charities are being asked to bid for funding to run the literacy catch-up classes.
"We hope the literacy catch-up programme for Year 6 and 7 pupils won't just be more synthetic phonics, because if it didn't help these children initially learn to read it is hard to see how it will when they are older.”
"Of course, it's good that the government wants to help disadvantaged children, but it's a pity that the highly prescriptive new primary curriculum will give little space for teachers to use their professional skills to help disadvantaged children reach their potential."
So, it seems it’s not just about more of the same being required, but more about a new approach being needed for those for whom the proscribed method of teaching in primary school just doesn’t work.