Teaching and Learning

At Neston High School, learning and teaching is central to a student’s experience, future happiness and prosperity. Students are encouraged to be independent and creative. Staff expertise is excellent and teachers continue to adapt and apply new and innovative approaches to ensure that students enjoy an enriching range of activities across the curriculum.

Student voice is of great importance to us and we regularly ask students for feedback on their learning experience. Great  emphasis  is  placed  on  the  individual  learning needs of each student, and a wide range  of strategies are in place to support them and to remove any possible barriers  to successful learning. This is supported by an outstanding system of care, support and guidance from the pastoral team.

Literacy at Neston High School

Literacy coordinator: Mr S. Smith

Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world.  Literacy is a life skill and every student in our school deserves the best possible chance of succeeding and grasping literacy as they progress through their educational journey.
Strong Literacy skills are the foundation of all learning and at Neston High School. We place an extremely high value on literacy skills for all. Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening skills  are  crucial  in  ensuring  success within all curriculum areas, but also in our student’s lives beyond the school. The ability to communicate is a crucial part of life, and necessary for the workplace as well as further education. For this reason, we have formulated a whole school approach whereby all staff are committed to focusing on Literacy as part of every lesson that your child experiences.
Our aim is to create an explicit focus on Literacy, in order to develop each student’s ability to communicate clearly and accurately.
Literacy comes in all shapes and sizes at Neston High School, some examples include:

• Reading intervention for identified Key Stage Three students.
• Tutor time literacy activities.
• Whole school literacy events (author events, workshops and literacy celebrations).
• Literacy baseline testing for Key Stage Three students 
• Literacy focused displays in classrooms.
• Transition activities with a literacy focus.
• Literacy competitions. 
• Literacy focused achievement points on Arbor.
• Literacy focused teaching and learning across all curriculum areas.

Arbor achievement points can be rewarded to students in lessons for literacy successes:
R2: Word of the week achievement 
Awarded to students who successfully use word of the week in their writing or in conversations. 
R3: Reading aloud reward
Awarded to students who read aloud in class with confidence. 
R3: Extended writing reward
Awarded to students who produce an impressive piece of extended writing.  
R3: Superb vocabulary choices
Awarded to students who successfully use impressive vocabulary in their work. 
R4: Literacy star 
Awarded to students who demonstrate excellent progress with reading, writing and/or oracy in a particular task.   
 

Numeracy

As well as strong Literacy skills, we are also keen to ensure that  students have a thorough grounding in numeracy skills.  At Neston High School, we have a wide range of students:  some  who  will  go  onto  read  mathematics at University; some who will never need more than a functional application in the rudimentaries  of numerate mathematics. The school is proud to cater for all students of all mathematical abilities. If your son/daughter needs extra tuition in maths – there is a formalised programme of  one-to-one  tuition  that  will  help  support  progress as well . For those students who are gifted in mathematics, we run a programme of ‘Stretch and Challenge’ that helps to develop the talents of those who will go on to use mathematics in their careers and future lives.

Homework

We place great emphasis on the early development of good study habits.

Homework is an essential part of this process. Your child will be expected to record information such as homework, involvement in activities, important dates such as one-to- one tuition  slots and break out mornings  and sporting events.