Successful Globeducate British International Schools Literacy Meet

Last week, literacy leaders from Globeducate British International Schools gathered at the Almancil campus of Nobel Algarve British International School to participate in an intensive two-day workshop aimed at deepening their knowledge of techniques and strategies that will enable them to further improve reading, speaking and literacy at all educational stages at Globeducate British International Schools. It was a professional development opportunity dedicated to supporting leadership and educational excellence in Globeducate's network of British schools in Europe.

Fundamentals and frameworks

The event began with a deep dive into strategies for incorporating reading into the daily school, with a whole-school approach and the use of data to support reading development. The session offered an in-depth look at the Talk4Writing strategy, including observation of its practical use, text modelling and active participation in the imitation and innovation stages. By experiencing the full cycle first-hand, participants gained a solid understanding of how to guide students towards independent and innovative writing. Michelle Grainger and the teachers at the host school were open and proud to share the school's literacy practices and journey with Talk4Writing.

Peer-to-Peer Learning

It also took place a powerful session of peer-to-peer learning, with our Literacy Leads sharing practical and relevant strategies. Topics presented included Reading Interventions, Effective EAL Strategies, Marking and Feedback, Developing Critical Literacy, Reciprocal Reading, Disciplinary & Content Area Literacy, Phonics & Handwriting Development, and Strategies for Secondary students.

Collaboration and Next Steps

The Literacy Meet concluded with a collaborative Problem-Solving session, allowing participants to share their current challenges and develop actionable next steps for literacy improvement in their respective schools.

"I found the Literacy Meet really beneficial. It was so useful to see another school and to talk to other teachers about what is working well at their schools. I feel it was much easier to build up a relationship face to face, and I feel confident now that I know who to go to for support/ ideas in different areas. I learned a lot more about talk for writing and it was great to see it in practise - looking forward to using it more here in our school. Thanks for organising!". Lisa Sherred, Literacy Lead of Cambridge House British International School

In the following article, you can read more about how we are tackling the decline in reading among young people in our schools, while promoting a love of reading.