Edinburgh Building Bridges case study
PDF file: Edinburgh Building Bridges case studyWester Hailes Education Centre
Wester Hailes Education Centre is a purpose-built community school with a roll of 500 serving, along with five associated primaries, an area of significant social and economic deprivation in south-west Edinburgh.
Clovenstone Primary focused on a writing programme which would address underachievement and begin the process of developing an emerging whole school policy on writing while Wester Hailes concentrated on developing a reading programme. Both supported each other in the development of these programmes to enhance professional partnerships and ensure continuity of literacy practices P6–S2.
The adoption of the ‘North Lanarkshire Writing Pack’ provided an initial focus for the cooperative teaching of writing for P7–S1, and the establishing of an inter-campus website enabled P7 children to access reading texts recommended by S1. Teachers commented on the need for time to develop the Writing Pack for secondary school use and to plan how it was then to be delivered. Staff involved believed it could only be beneficial to employ the same methods and terminology across P7–S1.
Concerns in secondary focused on the number of children entering S1 with a reading age significantly below chronological age. Its ‘Reading for Success’ programme was designed to address this issue. At its core is a commercial package from the US called ‘Accelerated Reader.’ The programme is supported by a well-established book club, activities and competitions, storyteller and author visits and an enthusiastic librarian. Parental support for reading is widely encouraged. It is intended that the initiative be adopted by all associated primary schools.
Difficulties of various kinds hampered the project but a determination to see the study completed is an indication of the strong professional links established to take their developing practice to the next level.