Words For All supports a sustainable, school-led approach to improving language acquisition which enables long-term cultural change. This programme also meets the current DfE requirements for catch-up premium spending.
The language gap within secondary schools isn’t a new problem and is one that, unfortunately, doesn’t have a ‘quick fix’.
Words For All is founded on a belief that more of the same is not enough on this challenging issue and is committed to looking at long-term approaches, rather than simple solutions, to solve this barrier to learning.
Words For All supports a sustainable, school-led approach to improving language acquisition by extending students’ knowledge of vocabulary and reading. Working in triads, teachers and leaders trial and scale strategies that work within the context of their school and met the specific needs of their students.
They also become part of a community of practitioners who can exchange peer support throughout the programme.
Co-created with Bolton Learning Partnership, Words For All builds on a successful pilot which demonstrated significant impact in 100% of participating schools. We now work with 60 schools across 14 local authorities and we’re looking forward to extending this approach in the future.
“When I applied to be part of the Words For All co-creation team, I had no idea what impact it would have on my young people in my school, on my colleagues, on my own professional development and on my working relationship with others across Bolton. The results for my own students have been impressive and I have been able to use this experience to coach three other schools on diminishing the language deficit.”
Carolyn Wood, St Joseph’s RC High School
Programme timeline
How does Words For All work?
We work with teachers who have passion and expertise to develop ‘leaders of language’ who can change the culture within their school. We start from a point of strength and trust participants to be advocates for vocabulary and reading within the school.
Words For All is also context-specific. The expertise and evidence already held within each school is harnessed to encourage programme participants to discover what they want to become masters in.
We also recognise that language acquisition can be about the social and emotional barriers that students bring. We encourage participants to become experts in language and identity, asking what the social and cultural implications of improving language skills might be and how we might bolster student agency.
Ambitions set by our Words For All schools…
“To deliver high quality literacy intervention that is personalised to the child and ensures pupil progress.”
– Walsall Academy
“To empower students with powerful knowledge and vocabulary, as powerful knowledge is liberating.”
– Copley Academy
“To make a difference for our most vulnerable students within their education and development.”
– Bishop Young Academy
School project plan
Find out more
We are delighted that Words for All will continue to be offered to schools in 2021-22. As the programme meets the DfE requirements for catch-up funding use, it’s the perfect time to invest in a sustainable solution to language acquisition within your school.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the response we’ve received from local authorities and schools across the country. While we intend to work with as many schools as possible in the coming year, there is a limited number of places on the programme in September 2021.
To book a call with us, contact: wordsforall@wholeeducation.org – we’re looking forward to hearing from you!
“What there is is a careful, cumulative, well-crafted curriculum which is rich in experience, rich in talk, rich in language and rich in reading and vocabulary.”
Alex Quigley, Closing the reading gap: a post Covid-19 priority (Whole Education webinar 12th August 2020)
