Our school places a strong emphasis on individualised education, with our literacy program serving as a cornerstone. Rooted in the latest research, this program encompasses Reading, Writing, Systematic Synthetic Phonics, Spelling, Speaking, and Listening on a daily basis. Speaking and listening skills are integrated across the curriculum, while reading is approached strategically, incorporating various strategies tailored to each student's unique needs. In writing, our focus is on nurturing high-quality student compositions through consistent teaching practices and exemplary instruction. The school's literacy program is firmly grounded in current research and plays a pivotal role in addressing the unique needs of each student. We have a consistent instructional model including the explicit teaching of the text types, embedded within the 6+1 writing traits; in conjunction with the Writer's Workshop Model. 

PHONICS AND SPELLING

• In Foundation and Year 1, we utilise the Oxford ELSA Phonics Program. This program is a structured, research-based approach that systematically develops students' phonemic awareness, decoding, and spelling skills to support early reading success and confident, fluent literacy development.

• In Years 2-6, students are explicitly taught a range of strategies in order to internalise them and use them interactively to produce correct spelling. There are three major spelling strategies - visual, sound/symbol and morphemic, all of which students use and explore in their “My Word Noticing Books” and “Spelling Journals”.

READING

• Reading at IEPS is a strategic and reflective process, incorporating modelled reading, shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading. Oral language, phonemic awareness, phonological knowledge, phonics, fluency and vocabulary are taught explicitly and through multiple exposures.

• Our aim is to equip students with a broad array of reading strategies that foster independent and successful reading.

WRITING

• In Writing, our focus is on nurturing high-quality student compositions through consistent teaching practices and exemplary instruction.

• The Writer's Workshop model is employed at all school levels, emphasising purposeful writing and deep thinking. Our instructional model empowers students to become independent writers who take ownership of their writing making decisions about content, style, and revisions by utilising a variety of writing tools.

• IEPS emphasises the teaching of grammar within the context of student writing, enabling learners to apply grammatical rules and conventions practically while crafting their compositions.

• Classrooms are embedding the 6+1 Writing Traits into the writing program. These traits are explored during Writer’s Workshop sessions and explicitly taught in Text Type lessons.