Additional Literacy Support (ALS)

The National Literacy Strategy gives all pupils a basic entitlement to good quality literacy teaching. In the early stages of the strategy, however, pupils in Key Stage 2 will not usually have benefited from being taught the Literacy Hour from the beginning of primary school. The ALS programme is intended to help Key Stage 2 pupils who have already fallen behind in literacy, but who would not otherwise receive any additional support in this area. Most of these pupils are likely to be Years 3 and 4 pupils who have attained level 2C or level 1 in their Key Stage 1 English tests.

The ALS programme began in September 1999 and is designed to be delivered by teachers and classroom assistants, working in partnership.

ALS materials for schools

All schools with Key Stage 2 pupils were sent a pack of ALS materials in May 1999. This pack included:

• a detailed teaching programme;
• guidance for teachers on delivering the ALS programme and managing the work of classroom assistants; and
• an accompanying training video.

The ALS materials are fully aligned with the objectives in the National Literacy Strategy Framework for teaching. They are informed by QCA’s analysis of performance in the 1998 Key Stage 1 and 2 tests and OFSTED’s evaluation of the pilot National Literacy Project. They also draw on the experience of LEAs as they implemented the literacy strategy, and were trialled in a number of schools.

Delivery of the ALS teaching programme

The ALS teaching programme is designed to be delivered to groups of five pupils, over a period of 24 consecutive weeks. This means that if a group of pupils begins the programme in September, they will finish it by the beginning of April.

Each week, ALS pupils will participate in:

• three twenty minute group work sessions taught by the classroom assistant, under the supervision of the teacher; and
• one twenty minute group work session taught by the teacher (except for the first eight weeks, when the teacher will deliver one session a fortnight).

The ALS sessions will cover three key components:

• Phonics This will teach pupils the word level work they may not have mastered at Key Stage 1, and will be taught by the classroom assistant, supervised by the teacher.
• Reading (guided and supported) This will teach pupils to apply word level skills in accurate and fluent reading, and will be taught by the teacher and the classroom assistant in alternate weeks.
• Writing (shared and supported). This will teach pupils to apply word and sentence level skills in their writing, and will be taught by the classroom assistant and the teacher in alternate weeks.