The Early Intervention Programme

Raising Standards in Literacy and Numeracy

Shetland Islands Council

Strategy

The key feature of the authority’s early intervention strategy is to improve literacy and numeracy in the early years.

The aims of the authority’s early intervention strategy for Mossbank Primary School were:

to improve literacy skills in Primary 2 and 2 with particular emphasis on oral language and the building of self-esteem and confidence;
to further develop the partnership with parents;
to encourage through partnership the development of literacy at home; and
to encourage parents to value play as a tool in promoting literacy.

For Baltasound Junior High School the aims were:

baseline assessment of all Primary 1 pupils on entry to school;
designating a significant proportion of learning support time in the early stage classes;
providing staff development opportunities in literacy;
devising group and individual programmes of work commensurate with identified needs of pupils underachieving;
keeping systematic records of progress; and
providing on a regular basis, opportunities for parents to be involved and engaged in their child’s learning programme.

Scope

Number of Schools:	2
Number of Pupils:	30 (Mossbank Primary School)	8 (Baltasound Junior High School)

Achievements and emerging lessons

Mossbank Primary School

The children show:

a greater awareness of environmental print, common words and their importance, and rhyming words;
greater confidence with independent writing.

The links between home and school have been strengthened.

Both the teachers involved have valued the classroom assistant and the opportunities she has offered the children to access literacy through play.

Baltasound Junior High School

The following targets were set by the school:

a Primary 1 reading group to develop pre-reading skills and follow through individualised reading programmes;
a Primary 2 reading group to consolidate early reading skills and follow through individualised programmes;
a Primary 1 maths group to develop maths vocabulary/concepts and achieve confidence in using numbers 0 to 10; and
a Primary 2 group to consolidate number formation to 10 and achieve basic competence at addition and subtraction in number and money.

The children in reading groups have achieved the targets set by the school confidently because they had individualised programmes suited to their individual needs as well as one to one support.

Small group work on early numeracy skills and vocabulary developed confidence and readiness for more formal maths work.

Local Views

Parents have commented on the fact that the children want to write at home and are also showing a greater interest in books.

One teacher involved in the project said that she felt that the quality of the curriculum for all children in her class had improved.

Advisory staff visiting the classes involved have commented on the quiet confidence of the children. Teachers have found that the children are more interested in activities related to literacy.