We’ve just learned that Hagley has been the successful recipient of funding to support a two year research project on advancing academic literacy, with a goal to improve outcomes for students entering university. This is great news!

The project will be funded by the Ministry of Education’s Teacher-Led Innovation Fund which is open to all primary and secondary teachers in state and state integrated schools, to support the development of innovative practices. There were 105 projects applied for this year and only 46 of those were successful. Hagley is the only Christchurch secondary school to receive this funding.

Hagley will lead school the project, working with staff and students from Avonside Girls' High School, Catholic Cathedral College, and Ao Tawhiti Unlimited, and the project will initially involve 20 teachers. We’ll also be working with the University of Canterbury pathways programme examining the nature of the literacy demands within a range of subjects with a view to equipping students with what they need to need to make the critical step between Year 13 and success in tertiary study. The project is based on a body of research which suggests that literacy is not a “one size fits all” concept; rather there are a range of literacies and students need to be able to understand and apply these in different contexts.

This is a significant project that Hagley is leading. It’s a major part of our work as a regional hub, as well as a key element in developing tertiary pathways.