Blessington Community College currently has a vibrant team of teachers dedicated to embedding the directions and recommendations of the National Strategy for Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life (2011-2020). Regular events and campaigns are organised during the school year. English teachers are involved with targeted Reading Campaigns. Junior Cycle is paving the way for increased awareness of the importance of literacy and numeracy amongst our Junior students. Cross curricular links are also being well exploited. Blessington Community College is involved in reflective practice and annual self-assessment in order to monitor the success of our initiatives and to highlight areas for improvement.
In 2011, the Department of Education and Skills launched the National Strategy for Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life (2011-2020). The central aim of this national strategy is the improvement of literacy and numeracy among children and young people. The strategy spans both primary and post-primary education, facilitating the growth in literacy and numeracy levels as the child develops.
Blessington Community College Literacy Focus 2018/2019 (Drop Everything & Read)
This is a great way of promoting reading across the whole school or year group. The idea is that at a set time everyday for a week or one week every month, everyone stops what they are doing and reads for one class period. It is a shared experience, gets people talking about books and reading while conveying a strong message that the school believes in reading. Students read, principals read, teachers in the staff room read, phones are taken off the hook and secretaries read, the caretaker reads and visitors to the school are offered books or magazines to look through. This initiative can be used to organise boxes of books, magazines and newspapers per class as well as one for the staff room and office.
https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/lit_num_strategy_full.pdf
2011 -2010 Department of Education and Science Strategy
The DES stated aims for the post-primary sector are:
• To ensure that all schools set realistic targets for the improvement of literacy and numeracy
• The extension of national assessment of literacy and numeracy
• To increase awareness of the importance of literacy and numeracy and include assessments of students’ ability to read digital material
• Increase the percentage of students taking higher-level mathematics to 60% at Junior Certificate, and 30% at Leaving Certificate by 2020.
Whole School Evaluation and Subject Inspection Reports Observations on Literacy and Numeracy in Blessington Community College made some observations and recommendations regarding literacy and numeracy. The recommendations were implemented as follows:
- Science laboratories have been enhanced with modern science charts.
- All classrooms display maps and posters, grammar points, samples of students’ work on the walls.
- The classrooms are a print-rich environment can support a visual learning style and is an attractive and effective means of increasing linguistic and cultural awareness.
- Good use of the ‘target language’.
- Good access to a well-resourced library. All students have a library card and can borrow books each lunchtime.
- The school’s ICT infrastructure has undergone sustained development in recent times allowing for increased access to computers.
- A number of useful numerical charts and information notices have been placed on the walls.
- Student-prepared material is displayed on classroom walls. This directly supports co-operative learning as students learn from each other’s work.
- The use of visual stimuli to reinforce learning is evident in all classrooms.
- A strategy where subject-specific vocabulary and concepts are highlighted has been designed.
- Strategies for facilitating students to remember what is discussed are developed such as recording the main points, or strengthen recall of these.
- In relation to numeracy, measurement, scale, proportion, weights and volumes are all part of procedures for designing and making artifacts and are integral to practical and technical activities.