Project: Strengthening Literacy and Numeracy in Secondary Schools
ImpactEd has supported a number of secondary schools across Aotearoa to strengthen their approaches to literacy and numeracy, with a particular focus on low-level learners and readiness for the literacy and numeracy co-requisite. As schools navigate these changes, we have provided tailored professional learning that empowers leaders and teachers to take meaningful action within their own contexts.
Our work has included strategic leadership development, curriculum-embedded workshops, and targeted support that bridges the gap between national expectations and classroom practice. Schools we’ve worked with were at various stages of readiness—some had well-established literacy and numeracy initiatives, while others were just beginning to respond to the demands of the co-requisite.
What We Do
- Partner with curriculum and senior leaders to analyse achievement data and develop an action plan.
- Facilitate full-day and online professional learning focused on embedding literacy and numeracy within subject areas—not as add-ons, but as authentic parts of teaching and learning.
- Support teams to define what effective literacy and numeracy practice looks like in their learning areas, including those traditionally seen as more practical or hands-on.
- Co-design tools and resources with staff, including diagnostic assessments, feedback strategies, and learning support frameworks.
- Introduce the use of AI tools to enhance resource creation and assessment practice in a manageable way.
Our approach always began with listening—understanding each school’s unique needs, student data, and teaching culture. From there, we built capability across subject areas, support Heads of Departments in planning for sustainable change, and work alongside learning support teams to ensure interventions were targeted and high-impact.
Impact
- Teachers reported increased confidence in embedding literacy and numeracy strategies within their own subjects.
- Schools developed clearer, more coherent plans for raising achievement among their lowest-performing learners.
- Leadership teams gained tools and frameworks to sustain this work long after our involvement ended.
This project is one example of how ImpactEd walks alongside schools to respond to system shifts while keeping student progress at the centre. We continue to refine our support as more schools engage with the challenges and opportunities of the co-requisite.
