Upon entry to Year 7, pupils with the lowest literacy skills receive an additional two hours per week of tuition based upon the ReadWriteInc programme. This enables them to make rapid progress in order to access learning across the curriculum and to enjoy French in Year 8 with more enthusiasm, confidence and success.  In addition, all pupils in Year 7 and 8 access the Accelerated Reader programme three times per week, which is designed to encourage a love of reading and move children towards age appropriate reading as quickly as possible, testing for comprehension along the way.

As well as a number of ambitious texts throughout the curriculum, tutor time enables students to immerse themselves into an additional text. This year, we embarked on Sami’s journey. Boy, Everywhere tells the story of Sami, a privileged child, who is forced to flee Damascus and start a new life in Manchester. The book is read aloud every Thursday in form time and it allows students to understand the ongoing struggles for people around the world. 

All pupils in Years 7 and 8 are assessed using GL Assessment’s reading test https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/new-group-reading-test-ngrt .The assessment helps highlight which pupils require support with their reading. This support is provided in different ways depending on the need of each pupil.

This could include reading support in the library, phonics lessons and higher ability book clubs. Some pupils also receive an extra timetabled English lesson, focusing on key literacy skills and comprehension. 

In addition, all pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 access the Accelerated Reader programme https://www.renaissance.com/products/accelerated-reader.  Accelerated Reader is a programme designed to encourage a love of reading, using reading levels to suggest appropriate books for each pupil and testing for comprehension along the way. Pupils visit the library for one hour per week, as well as there being opportunities before, during and after school to visit the library.

We also use a different reading program within the Academy called Reading Plus Reading Plus – Adaptive Literacy Intervention for Grades 3-12. This aims to develop comprehension and efficiency in reading and adapts to offer support and texts that are appropriate for the reading level of each individual learner. 

Reading Plus provides an integrated reading intervention program for all learners. The program includes an adaptive assessment, personalised instruction and practice, and easily accessible resources that enable teachers to meet the needs of every student.

Word of the Week introduces students to a range of new vocabulary that can be used across all subjects. Vocabulary is tied to the local context so that it is meaningful and builds cultural capital.

Here is an example of a previous word of the week:

Numeracy and the ability to use number skills in context is important, not just in mathematics, but across all subjects. As such, the Mathematics curriculum is sequenced to create numerate students who can access the mathematical elements across subjects such as science, PE, geography, and technology.

In Year 7 students are given the tools for statistical analysis in their first unit, and this continues into KS4 with students taking on the Statistics GCSE. Across both key stages, students work on fluency with the four operations, particularly times tables and multiplicative reasoning. Staff work together across subjects to ensure they are approaching topics in a similar manner to allow for consistency.

In KS4, students identified as falling behind age related expectations benefit from additional small group tuition during the school timetable and after school.

We also promote our love for Numeracy by encouraging students to compete nationally each year in UKMT (United Kingdom Mathematic Trust), complete theme day activities (e.g. World Maths Day & Pi Day) and run Mathletes club each week to explore many elements of Maths from a different perspective.

TTRS has been brought in to KS3 to reduce the impact of primary school disruption in COVID-19 on times table recall.

This is a homework expectation for pupils in KS3.

We have celebrated our participation in Boost Weeks and the national competition ENGLAND ROCKS!
All Year 7 and 8 take part in times table fluency daily at an appropriate current level – these are key stills – that often feed into ‘heavier’ questions and success at these reduces cognitive overload when teaching and practising more complex maths.

We have celebrated with our most improved students in assembly and are so PROUD of their achievement!

The Step-up curriculum is an add-on programme to the DELTA maths curriculum.

It gives an additional layer of support to pupils extending their primary knowledge to remove barriers in preparation of any new concepts taught in mastery.

All pupils have a varied knowledge of the KS2 curriculum before joining the secondary mathematics curriculum so the programme is tailored to each pupil allowing them to master any key gaps from KS2.

Our aim is for them to be ready to be KS3 ready in mathematics and succeed in other subjects where mathematics plays a part.

Numicon is a distinctive, multi-sensory approach to children’s mathematical learning that emphasises three key aspects of doing mathematics: communicating mathematically, exploring relationships and generalising.

At MCA we deliver the Numicon Big Ideas – a programme of catch-up materials for pupils for pupils aged 10-12 who are not yet on track to meet age-related expectations.

We have targeted the use of Numicon at pupils who require additional support with key concepts from the primary curriculum, so that they can access secondary mathematics with confidence.

It is delivered in conjunction with the Step Up programme and delivered by  our Mathematics HLTA.