Literacy

Literacy

At Forest Gate Community School, we share a common vision: that every student leaves as a fluent reader, a confident writer, and an articulate speaker. We are deeply committed to ensuring that no student at Forest Gate Community School leaves with a reading age below their chronological age, and that literacy is never a barrier to success.

To support this, we use Lexia as a key tool to boost the reading age of all students, ensuring no one is left behind. Additionally, our "Word of the Week" initiative exposes students to a wider range of vocabulary, particularly words linked to positive, pro-social behaviors, further enriching their language skills.
 

Explicit Vocabulary Teaching 

At FGCS, we recognise the importance of vocabulary in academic success. Across subjects, students must master complex terms to achieve fluency. To support this, we prioritise key vocabulary in our lessons, tracking progress through our Dynamic Progress Report (DPR).

We use the 'I say, you say' method to introduce new terms like "mitochondrion" in Science or "sacrament" in Religious Studies. This approach engages students visually and auditorily, helping them retain and understand these words. Through repetition, these terms move from short-term to long-term memory, empowering students to sound like the experts in their subjects.

Word by word, our students’ futures are shaped.