At Lift Newlands, we recognise that strong literacy, communication and reading skills are fundamental to both academic success and future life opportunities. As a specialist SEMH setting, we place literacy and oracy at the heart of our curriculum, ensuring pupils develop the confidence, vocabulary and communication skills they need to thrive in education and beyond.
We regularly assess pupils’ reading, literacy and communication needs through a range of baseline and ongoing assessments, enabling us to provide highly personalised interventions that support every pupil to make strong progress from their individual starting points.
Our specialist teachers deliver targeted 1:1 and small-group interventions using evidence-informed programmes, including the research-based Fresh Start phonics programme, to develop reading fluency, phonics knowledge and confidence for pupils who require additional support. We also utilise digital literacy platforms, including Lexia, alongside bespoke reading, comprehension and communication interventions tailored to individual need.
Reading is prioritised through our whole-school approach, with pupils accessing bespoke literacy programmes during the Newlands Curriculum based on their individual reading needs and assessment outcomes, including their NGRT scores. This ensures that intervention is carefully matched to need, enabling pupils to close gaps in literacy, strengthen comprehension and vocabulary, and develop the confidence required to access the wider curriculum successfully.
