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Closing the Gap
A partnership approach in North Lanarkshire providing additional early literacy support for lowest achieving children in Primary 2

Why was this partnership activity necessary - concerns, aims, difficulties etc?
Concern: Despite the rise in overall literacy attainment the gap between the highest and the lowest children still apparent
Aim: To close the gap by ensuring all children have access to good first literacy teaching followed by intensive support for children with difficulties.
Difficulties: To raise teachers' expectations regarding these children and convince network support teams of intervention as a viable alternative to long term support for many of them.

Where does this partnership operate?
Primary Literacy Base
Noble Primary
Shirrel Avenue
Bellshill
North Lanarkshire

When does this work happen?
On a daily basis - as Literacy Development Officers, managed by the Literacy Advisor, work in partnership to implement the key elements of the Authority's Literacy Strategy.

How does the scheme work? How is it maintained, sustained and evaluated?
The literacy base is where key partners have the opportunity to develop their roles and responsibilities in relation to effective, strategic and supportive literacy programmes involving schools, parents and the authority. These programmes and materials include:

• intensive early literacy intervention for P2 children at risk of reading and writing failure (reading recovery
• literacy coaches in every school - able to assess children to inform instruction through small group support and good first teaching in the key components of literacy instruction
• involvement of parents as partners in supporting children's learning
• North Lanarkshire Council reading and writing packs and continuing professional development for school staff.

What are the benefits? What difference does this partnership make?

• Teachers have access to first class training, materials and support in the classroom.
• Literacy Coaches and Reading Recovery Teachers are skilled in assessment/teaching of children with early literacy difficulties.
• Parents are aware of their role as partners and happy that literacy difficulties can be prevented.
• Children changed from passive, unresponsive learners to highly motivated independent learners.
• The Literacy Team have established a shared set of literacy targets and work in partnership to achieve these and regularly monitor their outcomes.

1.6 Noble Primary School, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire