The UKLA team is gearing up for our National Conference this weekend (Saturday 16 March) when we’ll be joined by some of the UK’s best literacy educators.
They are coming together to share their ideas and practice on topics such as creating a play-based curriculum and working with universities to improve standard.
Our venue is the outstanding Horfield CofE Primary School in Bristol, which is itself a winner of the UKLA’s prestigious Literacy School of the Year. It stunned the 2017 panel of literacy experts with the way that the headteacher and staff place literacy at the heart of the curriculum and use key texts as a means of enriching all of the school’s work.
“At the heart of the way in which we teach Literacy at our school is a fundamental commitment to unlocking the creative potential of all children through immersive learning,” said Jenny Taylor, Headteacher of Horfield CofE Primary. “Working in this way, powerful and engaging texts ignite children’s imaginations, promote a love of books and promote deep oral and written responses. Meaningful, memorable learning opportunities in Literacy inspire children across the curriculum. Experiences in Choral Speaking, Art, Dance and Drama enable children to explore texts through creative immersion.”
In addition to the panel of outstanding teachers, the conference will feature keynote talks from the children’s author Fleur Hitchcock, UKLA president Tracy Parvin and children’s literature expert Marilyn Brocklehurst of the Norfolk Children’s Book Centre.
Tracy Parvin, President of UKLA, said: “These teachers are at the forefront of principled and innovative educational practice and we are delighted to bring them together to share their ideas with other educators. At UKLA we want to celebrate schools that make a significant investment in their literacy curriculum, through professional development and prioritising high quality children’s books. But we also want to showcase their work so that other schools can access the keys to outstanding literacy teaching.”
Jacquie McBurnie, headteacher of St. Anthony’s Primary School in Renfrewshire, Scotland, who will be delivering a workshop at the conference, said of her own school’s literacy journey: “The staff in St Anthony’s Primary embraced the [Renfrewshire Literacy Approach] programme with enthusiasm and determination that we would improve our knowledge of literacy, increase our understanding of how poverty impacts on literacy attainment and of how to intervene to promote equality. Our children deserve the very best and in St. Anthony’s we strive to be excellent in every way, every day to achieve this.”
Tickets are still available. They cost just £30 for UKLA members.
Date: Saturday 16 March
Time: 10am to 3.25pm
Location: Horfield CofE Primary School, Bishop Manor Road, Bristol B10 5BD
Looking forward to seeing you there!
