Welcome to the Pembrokeshire Language Strategy site that shares co-constructed approaches to support all clusters, schools and individuals in Pembrokeshire to develop their own language strategies.

Our vision for language learning is that 

we all communicate effectively with each other in Welsh, English and international languages, 

by developing our knowledge and skills, and sharing our opinions and ideas, so that we can hear and be heard, 

with clarity and empathy, and grow our sense of collaboration, connectedness and belonging.

Below is the overarching strategy document that we will review and update annually.  Resources, including insights from Pembrokeshire schools, are arranged according to the tabs above.  Whatever your role, after reading this page, we would recommend starting with Self-Evaluation and Improvement Planning before looking at any of the other strands to develop your school/cluster language strategy.

If you are responsible for language development across a school, it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the whole site to decide how you will use the contents to support the professional learning of your team, for whole staff, groups or individuals.  As classroom practice evolves, you might find the reflection tool below useful, especially as a discussion tool.  For evaluating the impact of professional learning, the Guskey levels are useful in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluating stages (template below). 

Please do consider how you would like this site to develop over time, especially how you would like the work of your school/cluster to be shared.  Send your thoughts and suggestions to Sian on RowlesS5@hwbcymru.net or Catrin on PhillipsC58@hwbcymru.net or to your school representatives within the Pembrokeshire language networks.

Pembrokeshire Language Strategy 2023-2026 

- summary to support cluster/school strategy development

English and Welsh are mandatory subjects in their own right, as well as the languages in which learners make sense of and learn all other aspects of the curriculum.

Learners need to develop the language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as given opportunities to develop their literacy skills so that they can understand, interpret and draw inferences from what has been written or said, and communicate fluently, clearly and persuasively across the curriculum and in their lives beyond school.  ‘Developing learners’ literacy continues to be a cross-curricular responsibility for all teachers.’  Estyn, 2021

This strategy needs to be read within the context of Hwb guidance for Curriculum for Wales, including the Progression Code, and Languages, Literacy and Communication expectations.

Key Principles 

Pembrokeshire is committed to being evidence-informed, learning from successful practice elsewhere and locally, and collaborating to co-construct successful ways forward.  There are approaches that are supported by evidence of impact in a narrow sense, for example an approach may increase reading or writing competence in the short term, i.e. for the duration of the programme.  However, these may also have unintended, and possibly unmeasured, consequences, such as instilling a loathing of reading or writing. 

As we focus on learner progression, quick wins that are counter-productive to the long-term aspirations and purposes within Curriculum for Wales are to be avoided.  Opportunities such as the Siarter Iaith framework encourage positive engagement with, and attitudes to, becoming bilingual +1 learners and communities. The Education Endowment Fund (EEF) provides useful guidance in developing literacy at different ages.  These separate reports could support schools and clusters in developing their strategies, although the evidence base derives from monolingual schools (see the recommendations at the end of the document).

The strands of language development below must be considered collectively to develop a cohesive approach to language development.  Of critical importance is that schools/clusters consider how adopting their own specific blend of approaches/resources, especially for those that fall beyond those described below, will impact on each learner and cohort as they progress 3-16.  How will each child make sense of these approaches, develop their understanding of language and apply, transfer and develop their language skills in new contexts?

Strands within language development

Oracy

We learn to talk and we learn through talk.  Well-developed listening and speaking skills bring a range of wider benefits, including improved wellbeing, collaboration and leadership.  However, more children are arriving at school at a pre-verbal stage.  This delay in early language development requires skilled and systematic approaches to prevent long-term limits to child development and progress.

Listening and speaking are often lumped together, but listening skills need to be taught explicitly and distinctly if oracy skills are to flourish.  Voice 21 strategies can be effective once pupils are verbal.  These include teaching different roles in different group sizes, supportive structures and self and peer assessment in engaging listening and speaking activities.

Key considerations

• Appreciate and prioritise the critical role that oracy plays in improving, eg communication, wellbeing and human development, critical thinking, collaboration and academic success.

• Provide training and support for teachers to develop oracy skills and related teaching strategies, aligned to an oracy framework, whilst developing oracy assessment tools to evaluate and track progress over time.

• Establish a learning environment/school culture that encourages active and insightful listening, open communication and discussion, and respectful but meaningful debate.

• Teach students specific oracy skills such as active listening, turn-taking, discussion, constructing coherent arguments and debate, and informal and formal presentation.

• Develop quality talk, collaboration and peer-to-peer learning, such as structured conversations that promote deep thinking and engagement, deeper questioning and an openness to gaining wider and deeper perspectives beyond your current thinking.

• Integrate oracy development, including a rich vocabulary, and the assessment of oracy into the curriculum, ensuring that speaking and listening activities are embedded across AOLEs and in authentic, real-world contexts, such as the Global Goals and UNCRC.

• Encourage and schedule regular feedback and reflection on how well speaking and listening skills are developing, allowing students to identify areas for improvement.

• Involve families and the wider community in supporting oracy development, to provide authentic contexts and audiences and to emphasise its importance beyond the classroom.

Vocabulary

A focus on explicitly growing a rich and increasingly sophisticated vocabulary is central to strong language development, particularly for learners who do not come from a literacy-rich background.  Addressing the vocabulary deficit for those affected by disadvantage early and robustly is a key factor in securing equity of access to excellence in language development. 

Key considerations

• A rich vocabulary is a very important for comprehension, communication, and academic achievement.

• Teachers should actively teach and introduce new words to learners, rather than expecting learners to learn new words as they come across them.

• Words can be categorised into three tiers:

Tier 1: Basic, everyday words (eg house, cat, run).

Tier 2: High frequency words founds in many subjects (eg authority, establish).

Tier 3: Subject-specific words (eg ‘photosynthesis’ in science).

• All tiers are important, however, Tier 2 words bridge the gap between everyday language and academic language and are particularly beneficial for students' academic progress.  It can be useful to record Tier 2 and 3 words in knowledge organisers.

• Vocabulary should be taught within meaningful contexts, in rich reading and discussion environments where learners can understand how words are used in context.

• Word learning strategies are useful, such as context clues, word parts (ie morphology: prefixes; suffixes; and roots), the Frayer model and word webs, to help students understand and remember new vocabulary, including word histories (etymology) which can make spellings more understandable/memorable.

• Regular exposure and review of vocabulary words are crucial for remembering them.

• Reading widely exposes students to diverse vocabulary, which can be further strengthened through writing opportunities.

Reading

The Scarborough Reading Rope shows the different strands of reading which need to be developed simultaneously and woven together to grow skilled, lifelong readers.   However, in early reading, word recognition will need more focus and effort.  At later stages, as readers become more skilled in word recognition, more focus is available for comprehension.

Key considerations

• Develop and foster a positive attitude towards reading and a lifelong love of reading and literature, in a highly visible reading-rich school culture.

• Develop learners’ pre-reading skills, for example through songs, rhyme and music.

• Family engagement opportunities are necessary to develop strong reading habits at home, without which progress is delayed.

• Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) programmes, such as RWI and Tric a Chlic, support the development of reading skills when begun when learners are developmentally ready, paced according to learners’ progress, and when implemented with integrity. We do not yet know which programmes are having the most positive impact in Pembrokeshire schools.

• SSP programmes need to be complemented by wider approaches to developing reading-rich cultures within schools, eg reading high quality texts to learners, providing opportunities for learners to read aloud, sharing complete novels with learners, and providing time for daily independent reading.

• Structured approaches to the teaching and development of reading, such as guided and reciprocal reading, have been found to be effective in developing comprehension, analysis, synthesis etc, as well as increasing engagement in reading for pleasure. 

• Ensure that learners access and select reading materials that are well-matched to current reading skills, interests and growing a familiarity and appreciation of Welsh literature.

• Many schools across several clusters have successfully worked with Empathy Lab in order to carefully curate learners’ reading experiences.  As well as developing reading skills and attitudes to reading, this also develops wider goals, such as empathy and broader diversity within the curriculum.

Writing

Writing is a complex process of three components, all relying on our limited working memory, according to the Not So Simple View of Writing alongside. 

It is important to bear in mind that the essential building blocks of pre-writing physical development are critical and do not feature in this model.  The need to develop the core physical strength and gross and fine motor skills must not be underestimated.                                                         

In early writing, the working memory is mainly occupied by developing transcription skills, until they become more automatic. When working memory is no longer focussed on securing letter shape, size and position, it can focus on the other aspects like generating ideas, more considered word choice and reviewing, reflecting and improving writing.  Once the habits of the pre- and early writing stages are established, The Writing Revolution offers useful guidance and support to develop writing in a precise, granular and structured manner. 

Key considerations

• Ensure that authentic purposes and audiences for writing are woven across the curriculum, and that learners are supported and stretched to develop, apply and transfer their skills meaningfully and successfully into new contexts, including extended writing opportunities. 

• Set and maintain high expectations of all learners to write well in different, challenging forms.

• Teach learners to understand the conventions of form and genre, and of writing as a process.

• Instil an expectation for learners to check, correct and re-draft their work, as well as respond purposefully to peer critique and adult feedback.

• Discuss, agree and implement consistent approaches to developing and transferring skills, for example in sentence construction, punctuation and spelling across your school/cluster.

• Provide regular opportunities for learners to write freely using the range of writing skills that they already have.

• Learners achieving fluency and legibility in writing is important, although we do not have evidence that cursive writing is the only way to achieve this for all learners.

Grammar (including punctuation) and syntax 

Teaching grammar and syntax is essential for effective communication, language comprehension and writing proficiency. Discussions continue regarding how explicitly and to which degree of specificity and sophistication grammar should be taught. However, when learners have a more confident understanding, it can help them to better notice, describe and practise the moves of successful speakers and writers. 

Key considerations

• Schools/clusters should determine their own systematic approach to developing grammatical awareness and application. 

• Expectations should, as a minimum, align with those outlined in the literacy framework.   

• Teaching grammar and syntax explicitly enables teachers to help learners understand how to improve the accuracy and clarity of their language use. 

• Teaching grammar within context enhances understanding, precision, application, and transfer. 

• Securing a strong foundation in the grammar and syntax of one's first language facilitates the acquisition of additional languages, as it provides a basis for understanding and comparing linguistic structures. 

Literature 

Engaging and stimulating literature is central to language development and wider curriculum goals, such as the development of empathy, creativity and cultural understanding. 

Key considerations

• Recognise the role of literature in firing the imagination, and as a window into many worlds, both within and beyond the students' own experiences.  Well-chosen literature supports a deeper understanding of themes such as Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), local, national, and international contexts, careers, human rights education, and diversity. 

• Promote a visibly literature-rich culture that encourages learners to enjoy, broaden and deepen their understanding of themselves and others.   

• Encourage learners to consider these themes through the lens of their own cynefin or personal context, fostering a deeper connection to literature created by others and themselves, and its relevance to, and enhancement of, their lives.

• Strategic and sustained support from and collaboration with partners, such as Empathy Lab, can support clusters in making informed choices regarding curriculum choices.  

International Languages

Blessed with over 50 languages spoken within Pembrokeshire school communities, including British Sign Language,* schools should celebrate and incorporate these languages into their curriculum to add to the richness and within their curriculum. 

Key considerations in addition to those above for various strands:

• From Progression Step 3, schools need to be supporting learners to develop higher levels of competence in at least one international language. 

• PowerLanguage (French and Spanish) is a useful resource, providing a well-considered curriculum map with related resources, including native speaker audio files, from Nursery.

• The Extensive Processing Instruction (EPI) approach designed by Gianfranco Conti, already in use within Welsh language learning in English-medium settings, supports the development of fluency in additional languages.  Key phases include modelling, receptive processing and structured tasks, retrieval practice**, grammar, and fluency and spontaneity practice.

*BSL is considered an international language in CfW.

** All Pembrokeshire schools have access to Carousel Learning, an online platform that enables teachers to design and assign retrieval practice activities for their own school’s curriculum content, in order to strengthen learning, progression and learner effectiveness.

Developing a cluster strategy

The Education Endowment Fund (EEF) suggests the following to improve literacy within different age ranges which could support clusters in developing a cluster strategy for language and literacy.  These have influenced the development of the 15 Cogs used in the Self-Evaluation and Improvement Planning resources.

For 3-5 year olds (or older pupils who are not making progress in line with peers):

1.  Prioritise the development of communication and language

2.  Develop children’s early reading using a balanced approach

3.  Develop children’s capability and motivation to write

4.  Embed opportunities to develop self-regulation

5.  Support parents to understand how to help their children learn

6.  Use high quality assessment to ensure all children make good progress

7.  Use high quality targeted support to help struggling children

For 5-7 year olds:

1.  Develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills and wider understanding of language

2.  Use a balanced and engaging approach to developing reading, teaching both decoding and comprehension skills

3.  Effectively implement a systematic phonics programme

4.  Teach pupils to use strategies for developing and monitoring their reading comprehension

5.  Teach pupils to use strategies for planning and monitoring their writing

6.  Promote fluent written transcription skills by encouraging extensive and effective practice and explicitly teaching spelling

7.  Use high quality information about pupils’ current capabilities to select the best next steps for teaching

8.  Use high quality structured interventions to help pupils who are struggling with their literacy

For 7-11 year olds:

1.  Develop pupils’ language capabilities

2.  Support pupils to develop fluent reading capabilities

3.  Teach reading comprehension strategies through modelling and supported practice

4.  Teach writing composition strategies through modelling and supported practice

5.  Develop pupils’ transcription and sentence construction skills through extensive practice

6.  Target teaching and support by accurately assessing pupil needs

7.  Use high quality structured interventions to help pupils who are struggling with their literacy

For 11-16 year olds:

1.  Prioritise ‘disciplinary literacy’ across the curriculum

2.  Provide targeted vocabulary instruction in every subject

3.  Develop students’ ability to read complex academic texts

4.  Break down complex writing tasks

5.  Combine writing instruction with reading in every subject

6.  Provide opportunities for structured talk

7.  Provide high quality literacy interventions for struggling students

KS3 – KS4 Literacy across Ysgol Bro Preseli

An opportunity to hear about speaking, listening, reading and writing strategies across the school from Naomi Nicholas, Welsh teacher, LLC and Literacy Coordinator.  Link to recording is here and a wealth of resources are below.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/a-world-of-languages/