The Hampshire Improvement and Advisory Service (HIAS) will return to St Helena this October for a two-week programme of professional support focused on strengthening literacy teaching and improving outcomes for pupils across the island’s schools.
The HIAS team will arrive on Saturday 3 October and will work alongside staff across all three schools during their two-week visit. The programme will build on the ongoing partnership between HIAS and St Helena’s education sector, with a strong focus on developing consistent, effective approaches to reading and writing from the early years of schooling through to and including secondary education.
During the visit, HIAS advisers will work directly with teachers and teaching assistants through lesson observations, learning walks, coaching, professional development and practical workshops.
In Key Stage 1, the programme will focus on developing early reading and writing, including phonics, blending skills, writing development and the accuracy of reading and writing assessment. Staff will also have opportunities to explore foundational writing skills and approaches to supporting pupils to become increasingly confident readers and writers.
In Key Stage 2, the focus will include strengthening the writing curriculum, adapting teaching and resources to support lower-attaining pupils, and maximising the impact of teaching assistants and other additional adults. The programme includes curriculum planning, coaching, demonstration lessons and professional development around adaptations and scaffolding.
The visit will also support secondary practitioners in developing their knowledge of phonics and early reading, including the use of the Fresh Start intervention to support students who continue to require help with decoding.
A key element of the programme will be building sustainable improvements in teaching practice. HIAS will work with staff on consistent use of scaffolding, explicit instruction, high-quality modelling and approaches that encourage greater pupil independence. The programme will also look at the effective deployment of additional adults through structured support, consistent communication and targeted intervention.
The programme forms part of Education Skills and Employment’s broader programme of education improvement, which aims to strengthen education provision across St Helena and support continued improvements in teaching, learning and outcomes for pupils. The ongoing partnership with HIAS provides an important opportunity to build capacity within St Helena’s schools and support sustainable improvements in practice.
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