Work Package 1
Work Package 1 focuses on building national capacity in evidence-based literacy teaching through professional learning (PL), literacy guidance, and integration within Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Led by the University of York, with contributions from Bangor University, Swansea University, UCL, and BookTrust Cymru, this strand will provide bilingual professional learning for teachers and school leaders across Wales.
Activities include developing and trialling PL modules on early reading (including systematic phonics), reading fluency, comprehension, and oracy; embedding these into ITE programmes; and co-creating bilingual guidance materials for schools and local authorities. By the end of the project, Work Package 1 will deliver a scalable, bilingual professional learning model and national literacy guidance aligned with the new Curriculum for Wales.
Projects within Work Package 1
- Professional Learning (Primary and Secondary): Online modules and face-to-face workshops to enhance teacher expertise in teaching early literacy (including systematic phonics).
- Initial Teacher Education (ITE): Working with ITE providers across Wales to ensure new teachers graduate with a strong grounding in evidence-based literacy.
- National Literacy Guidance: Co-produced documents offering clear principles, exemplars, and practice profiles to support consistent literacy delivery across Wales.