English Department News

Explicit Instruction and 'The Writing Revolution'

The English Department is well on the way to embedding 'The Writing Revolution' into our newly developed, knowledge-rich curriculum. This will enable our students to acquire the skills they need for success on their educational journey, as supported by the key findings of the recently released Grattan Institute Report on Reading. Embedding this program will ultimately allow for the shift to a pedagogical approach grounded in explicit instruction, which is research-backed and exemplifies educational best practice. 

To ensure parents and carers feel engaged in this journey and understand how explicit instruction operates in our classrooms, we wanted to share the below quick reference poster, which highlights the findings of Dr Anita Archer, a key researcher in this field. We have also shared some information on Cognitive Load Theory, which supports our new approach to English teaching at Girton. I encourage you to peruse the resources your child is engaging with in English, both on Astra and in their hardcopy booklets.

We are excited to continue on this path, providing our students with the skills and capabilities they need for educational success.

Mr Troy Edwards

Head of English