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Literacy plays an important role across the whole school for all staff and students. The ability to be able to communicate effectively is vital in all lessons and important to all students.
Literacy is taught as explicitly as possible with all staff taking the opportunities to highlight the correct use of literacy. This is seen through our specific literacy marking policy and through our termly focuses. Student literacy ambassadors also play an important role in helping to teach others about the importance of literacy within and outside of their lessons. Working through an award scheme these students are helping to lead on literacy improvement across the school.
Literacy support at home is just as important and in the sections below you will find some resources, created by both staff and students, that can help you to work with your child to improve their literacy.
We are also very proud of our library at Monk's Walk, where we hold a selection of both non-fiction and fiction titles to assist with learning and to inspire a joy of reading that can be taken by our students throughout their lives. In the sections below you will find details of the various tools and services available to help access our library services and see what we have to offer.
Helpful Literacy Tips
ApostrophesBeginning sentencesCapital lettersColons and semi colonsConnectivesConsonantsOur and areThere/Their/They'reMarking codes for literacy
Oracy at MWS
Oracy at Monk’s Walk School
Oracy is the ability to effectively communicate verbally in a variety of contexts. At Monk’s Walk, we see oracy as a highly valuable skills, both for academic success and preparation for life beyond school. For several years, we have worked alongside Voice 21, the national leaders in oracy education, in order to create numerous opportunities for students to develop their oracy skills. Staff at Monk’s Walk receive regular CPD regarding effective oracy-based teaching, which students then experience across year groups and subjects.
Why oracy matters?
By teaching students to become effective speakers and listeners we empower them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them.
- Speaking and listening skills are critical foundations for reading and writing.
- Students with better oral language skills are more likely to achieve the highest grades in GCSE Maths and English.
- Young people with good communication skills are less likely to have mental health difficulties.
The oracy framework displayed here, sets out the key components of oracy, which are then applicable in a variety of contexts, from one-on-one discussions to public speaking in front of a large audience.
There are also numerous opportunities for students to participate in events and activities outside of their lessons, to practise their oracy skills and by extension, prepare them future endeavours. These include but are not limited to;
· Student presentations at ARD
· Year 7 Ignite Day (Year 7 students write and present speeches to an audience)
· Shine workshops (for more introverted students)
· Year 9 and 10 House Debating
· Sixth Form Student Ambassador roles
June 2025 Update Monk's Walk celebrate becoming a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence!
We are proud to have been recognised as a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence for our work in developing students' oracy (speaking and listening) skills.
Being accredited as a Voice 21 Centre of Excellence certifies and celebrates that we are leading our curriculum by providing a high-quality oracy education for all students. The school aims to act as a beacon of good practice for other schools nationwide into the future.
In Voice 21 Oracy Schools, students learn the oracy skills they need to succeed in school and in life.
As a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence, we put oracy at the heart of our teaching and learning across all subject areas, enabling students to develop and deepen their knowledge and understanding through talk in the classroom.
We support our students to become articulate communicators who are able to present themselves confidently across a range of settings and contexts, from group discussions to formal presentations.
Library Catalogue
Monk's Walk uses Reading Cloud to manage it's library inventory, reservations, and to allow you to post reviews of books you have read.
Recommended Academic Reading
We have compiled a list of recommended books to read if you are studying various different A Level subjects. Watch this space, we have more lists coming for other stages of your education too!
Recommended Leisure Reading
Reading for fun is important too. We've curated some lists of great titles to read in a variety of different genres, and we plan to keep adding to it!
Reading Resources
We've put together some resources to help with encouraging reading during lockdown. Please view the video below and access the files to find lots of helpful advice to get your child interested in reading more.
