LITERACY, COMMUNICATION and EAL At Newham PRUS

At Newham PRUs, reading and writing are the foundations of our work. To effectively engage our students—many of whom are reluctant readers, reluctant writers, or have become disengaged from education—we prioritise creating a safe and respectful environment. Our overarching Literacy Strategy is designed to empower every student to communicate effectively using both everyday and academic language, ensuring they make continuous progress during their time with us.

Identifying Needs
All of our pupils have SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health) needs, and a significant proportion face "hidden" communication barriers that have previously been unsupported. Assessment data indicates that up to 68% of students have unaddressed Speech, Language, or Communication Needs (SLCN), with most struggling with vocabulary and verbal reasoning skills (Summer 2024/25 data). Additionally, around 63% display traits of mild to severe dyslexia (Summer 2024/25 data).

To address this, our Literacy Co-ordinator, SENCo, Head of English, and Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) collaborate closely with all staff. Together, they ensure we provide communication-friendly environments that widen participation and enrich learning for all.

All new students are given baseline assessments using the standardised Lucid Lass Assessment. This test provides insight into individual students' abilities in literal and inferred comprehension, vocabulary, and analysis. In our Primary provision, students complete a checklist for processing difficulties if dyslexia is suspected, alongside a phonics baseline assessment. All pupils undertake comprehensive SLCN assessments and screeners with our in-PRU SALT to identify any deficits in:

-Understanding of spoken language and verbal reasoning.
-Understanding and use of vocabulary.
-Sentence structure and narrative.
-Social interaction.

Along with reading and cognitive assessments, we also carry out individual writing baselines on all of our pupils. All English teachers at the PRU conduct a Miscue Analysis and set personalised writing targets. The Head of English and the SENCO then analyse the comprehensive data, looking for patterns and trends to strategically raise writing levels across all subjects and the entire curriculum.
All of these assessments and screeners give us a sound foundation to build upon existing interventions, plan impactful staff training, and accurately demonstrate pupil progress.

Developing Literacy Skills
We are dedicated to supporting students in developing their literacy skills, which includes enabling them to make informed choices about the language they use in a variety of contexts and situations. This focus applies to reading, writing, speaking, and listening, both within the school and in the wider community.

Phonics and Reading Foundation
We understand the crucial importance of phonics for our pupils and actively work to support and build upon any gaps in their foundational reading skills, linking our approach to the Department for Education (DfE) Reading Framework.

We utilise expert assessments, including RML Phonics (Ruth Miskin Literacy), Lucid Lass, Access Reading Tests, SPARCs, and the Lexia PowerUp! baseline assessments, to pinpoint specific needs. Students engage in a structured, synthetic phonics program, utilising Ruth Miskin Phonics & Fresh Start (for older readers) and Lexia PowerUp! (Key stage 1-4).

Any pupil not making expected, age-related progress is swiftly identified for more bespoke reading support. This intervention takes the form of one-to-one reading sessions using RML & Fresh Start Phonics and Essential English Grammar for our Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils, ensuring no child is left behind.

Tailored Reading Interventions
We offer a variety of tailored reading interventions to meet students where they are and facilitate their growth. These interventions are specific to each student's needs and may be delivered one-on-one or in small groups:

Lexia PowerUp!: An adaptive, online program that provides personalised instruction in foundational reading skills, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies.

Ruth Miskin Phonics & Fresh Start Phonics: A systematic phonics program designed for older students who need to strengthen their foundational reading skills.

Essential English Grammar: An intervention that focuses on building a solid understanding of grammar and sentence structure to improve reading comprehension.

Building a Reading Culture
We are actively working to cultivate a strong reading culture across the PRUs. This includes:
-Reading at the start of every assembly to model and embed the importance of literacy.
-Reading displays located prominently around the school environment.
-The DHT/SENCo works collaboratively with the English and Literacy Coordinator to structure dedicated reading sessions within English lessons and ensure reading across the curriculum. For example, staff across all subjects are trained to use explicit reading strategies (such as reciprocal reading) to support comprehension of specialised texts.

Developing SLCN
We believe it is vital to build speech, language, and communication skills within the PRU. We have a dedicated SALT on site who carries out screeners and assessments for every pupil and supports teachers and support staff to build upon universal and targeted strategies within class, group, and 1:1 sessions. We implement a range of strategies and tools, from Social Stories to support pupils in making the right choices, to Now and Next boards/Checklists to support pupils' organisation and cognitive skills.

Building Key Vocabulary
To effectively ensure curriculum access for all pupils, the SENCO, SALT, and HoD (Head of Department) maintain an essential interdisciplinary partnership focused on building key academic vocabulary. Their primary goal is to meticulously identify and prioritise Tier 3 vocabulary—the complex, subject-specific terminology critical for deep understanding of the topics taught at the PRU. Through close collaboration, the team ensures these vital words are not merely encountered but are explicitly taught using a range of targeted, multi-sensory strategies specifically tailored to meet the language and learning needs of vulnerable pupils. This proactive approach is crucial in bridging significant gaps in academic language, thereby directly enhancing every pupil's ability to access, comprehend, and succeed with the specialised content of their courses.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
All students whose main language in the family home is not English are regarded as having EAL status, even if they are already fluent in spoken English.
We carry out an EAL survey for all new students. Those who are new to English are assessed using The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or an equivalent framework to guide assessment and track language development (as per our EAL Policy). The outcomes of these assessments inform decisions around providing a personalised EAL intervention, which may include one-to-one support and in-class assistance.

Personalised Support: Assess-Plan-Do-Review
The screenings and assessments carried out during student admissions provide us with a deep understanding of each student’s individual literacy, communication, and EAL needs.
Every pupil receives a personal Pupil Profile at the admissions stage. This profile is shared with all staff and contains recommendations and strategies to help the young person overcome their specific barriers to learning. This detailed approach is integral to our continuous 'Assess – Plan – Do – Review' cycle.

Jo Etienne Acting Literacy Coordinator: Jo.etienne@prus.newham.sch.uk
Yasmine Dhillon DHT Senco/Inclusion: Yasmine.dhillon@prus.newham.sch.uk