Teach First is now offering the new NPQ in Leading Literacy (NPQLL), which gives aspiring leaders the opportunity to develop a whole-school literacy strategy. Former secondary literacy lead Lin shares her experience of the role, and why literacy is so important at school and beyond.
At school, strong literacy underpins all subjects and is crucial for success across the curriculum. However, this goes beyond educational attainment and into adulthood, since strong writing, communication and negotiation – all needed for success in adult life – are supported by literacy skills. Additionally, creating opportunities to read and write creatively for pleasure can support students to explore their own identity and place in the world. Through school literacy activities, we can instill a lifelong passion in young people, which is something very much worth pursuing to help them grow into well-rounded adults.
As an English teacher at a secondary school, one of my main concerns was developing my students’ reading, writing and speaking. But I wanted to do more than that. I put myself forward for the role of literacy lead because I felt strongly that the best way to embrace literacy opportunities in my school’s community was to join up thinking across the whole school community – teachers and students.
