Literacy and Numeracy Policy
INTRODUCTION
The Sisters of Mercy have left a legacy of over a century and a half of contribution to the social fabric of the local community in Enniscorthy and their rich treasury of wisdom will endure at Coláiste Bríde, a Catholic secondary school operating under the trusteeship of CEIST (Catholic Education An Irish Schools’ Trust), the core values of which are inclusive of the Mercy philosophy of education. Integral to our school’s characteristic spirit is the vision of Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, which encourages each member of our diverse school community to lead by lived example, with intention, focus and accountability, modelling the faith and values of the school and upholding high standards and performance levels. The characteristic spirit of the school strives to honour its Mercy heritage and,finding expression in the emphasis placed on Catholic beliefs and practices, is dedicated to cherishing, and realising the full promise and flourishing of each pupil of every faith and none and respecting of the inherent dignity, autonomy and uniqueness of each person.
LITERACY AND NUMERACY STRATEGY
In July, 2011, the Minister for Education and Skills, Rúairí Quinn, launched the National Strategy to improve literacy and numeracy among children and young people, Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life 2011-2020.
Minister Quinn asserted, “This is an issue of equality. Without the skills of literacy and numeracy, a young person or adult is often denied full participation in society. They may be condemned to poorly paid jobs or unemployment and a lifetime of poverty and exclusion. This is why I am convinced that ensuring all our young people acquire good literacy and numeracy skills is one of the greatest contributions that we can make towards achieving equality and social justice in our country.”
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Within a broad and balanced curriculum, our school’s ethos helps us to encourage curiosity and creativity for life-long learning and discovery, and enkindles in our school members an intentional service to contribute to the common good and the transformation of society. Coláiste Bríde acknowledges that a key element of equal education opportunities provision is the fostering of good literacy and numeracy skills which are essential to the life prospects of each person and vital for the quality and equity of Irish society.
Coláiste Bríde is committed to raising the standards of literacy and numeracy of its pupilsin order that each pupil willmasterthese crucial skillsto the best of her ability. The focus of this policy is to sustain and build on the high levels of teaching and learning outlined in the very positive Whole School Evaluation report, received in February, 2011, by providing a formal framework for the implementation of the measures for the development of literacy and numeracy skills as presented in the Department of Education and Skills’ Strategy. Continual and consistent efforts to improveliteracy and numeracy standards, which may include providing extra available resources to those pupils with additional needs, willfurther enhance the opportunity for our pupils to participate fully in education and in all aspects of society and culture including local, national and global communities with the aim of making a “real, measurable and positive difference” to their lives and will assist them in achieving their full potential.
AIMS OF THIS POLICY
The aims of this policy document are to:
Full text of policy linked below
The Sisters of Mercy have left a legacy of over a century and a half of contribution to the social fabric of the local community in Enniscorthy and their rich treasury of wisdom will endure at Coláiste Bríde, a Catholic secondary school operating under the trusteeship of CEIST (Catholic Education An Irish Schools’ Trust), the core values of which are inclusive of the Mercy philosophy of education. Integral to our school’s characteristic spirit is the vision of Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, which encourages each member of our diverse school community to lead by lived example, with intention, focus and accountability, modelling the faith and values of the school and upholding high standards and performance levels. The characteristic spirit of the school strives to honour its Mercy heritage and,finding expression in the emphasis placed on Catholic beliefs and practices, is dedicated to cherishing, and realising the full promise and flourishing of each pupil of every faith and none and respecting of the inherent dignity, autonomy and uniqueness of each person.
LITERACY AND NUMERACY STRATEGY
In July, 2011, the Minister for Education and Skills, Rúairí Quinn, launched the National Strategy to improve literacy and numeracy among children and young people, Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life 2011-2020.
Minister Quinn asserted, “This is an issue of equality. Without the skills of literacy and numeracy, a young person or adult is often denied full participation in society. They may be condemned to poorly paid jobs or unemployment and a lifetime of poverty and exclusion. This is why I am convinced that ensuring all our young people acquire good literacy and numeracy skills is one of the greatest contributions that we can make towards achieving equality and social justice in our country.”
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Within a broad and balanced curriculum, our school’s ethos helps us to encourage curiosity and creativity for life-long learning and discovery, and enkindles in our school members an intentional service to contribute to the common good and the transformation of society. Coláiste Bríde acknowledges that a key element of equal education opportunities provision is the fostering of good literacy and numeracy skills which are essential to the life prospects of each person and vital for the quality and equity of Irish society.
Coláiste Bríde is committed to raising the standards of literacy and numeracy of its pupilsin order that each pupil willmasterthese crucial skillsto the best of her ability. The focus of this policy is to sustain and build on the high levels of teaching and learning outlined in the very positive Whole School Evaluation report, received in February, 2011, by providing a formal framework for the implementation of the measures for the development of literacy and numeracy skills as presented in the Department of Education and Skills’ Strategy. Continual and consistent efforts to improveliteracy and numeracy standards, which may include providing extra available resources to those pupils with additional needs, willfurther enhance the opportunity for our pupils to participate fully in education and in all aspects of society and culture including local, national and global communities with the aim of making a “real, measurable and positive difference” to their lives and will assist them in achieving their full potential.
AIMS OF THIS POLICY
The aims of this policy document are to:
- Support pupils’ learning in all subjects by helping teachers to be clear about the ways in which their work with pupils contributes to the development of pupils’ communication and numeracy skills;
- develop a shared understanding between all staff of the role of language and mathematics in pupils’ learning and how work in different subjects can contribute to and benefit from the development of pupils’ ability to communicate and complete mathematical tasks effectively;
- be conscious of the fact that good skills in language and numeracy skills are central to pupils’ sense of identity, belonging and growth;
- elevate pupils’ own expectations of achievement, thus raising standards;
- improve pupils’ level of confidence and self-expression;
- promote knowledge and understanding of the pupils’ standards of achievement and assessment in speaking and listening, writing and reading and mathematical computation;
- identify areas of strength and weakness and use this information to inform planning.
Full text of policy linked below
| colaiste_bride__literacy_and_numeracy_policy_2013-2014.pdf |