What is Bedrock? 

Bedrock’s core curriculum explicitly teaches Tier 2 vocabulary and curriculum-aligned grammar content through a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. The curriculum is personalised for each learner. 

• Vocabulary and grammar are learned best in the context of rich, authentic texts. 

• The range of texts on the Bedrock platform ensures that learners regularly read fiction and non-fiction and also grow their cultural capital from the wide selection of topics on offer.

• Multimodal learning sequences are designed following research and best practice in vocabulary and grammar teaching. The system automatically generates and assigns learning content to students, marks the work produced and delivers personalised content based on results.

Through its Mapper resource, Bedrock allows us to map our Tier 3 vocabulary curriculum across the school and explicitly teach these key terms in a multimodal, data-driven way. It shows us which words are being learned, in which subjects, when and by whom. It drives our approach to improve disciplinary literacy. All Bedrock progress data is fed right back to the teacher’s inbox and allows staff and leadership teams to meticulously track language acquisition and literacy improvement in schools The school’s adoption of this challenging language curriculum forms one part of our whole school commitment to language and vocabulary growth for all learners.

Why did we choose Bedrock?

The National Curriculum states that “fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects.” We know the importance of equipping our learners with the language they need to thrive across the curriculum.

We have partnered with Bedrock Learning to ensure we explicitly teach and assess Tier 2 vocabulary (Tier 2 vocabulary consists of high-frequency words that occur across various subjects. These words often appear in mature language situations such as adult conversations and literature, and therefore strongly influence speaking and reading), grammar and subject-specific Tier 3 vocabulary (Tier 3 consists of low-frequency words that occur in specific domains. Domains include subjects in school, hobbies, occupations, geographic regions, technology, weather, etc. We usually learn these words when a specific need arises, such as learning amino acids during a chemistry lesson). This is part of our whole school literacy strategy. The EEF’s ‘Reading House’ shows that grammar and vocabulary underpin language comprehension. Proven to have a statistically significant impact on learners’ vocabulary, Bedrock Learning improves the elements of language crucial to reading comprehension and communication.

A wide base of academic and D of E research has highlighted poor vocabulary development as a key factor in low literacy levels and attainment. Sources have found this to result from many factors, including social factors, compounded by a lack of independent reading. As a school, we also believe in the power of reading and how reading a wide range of texts can expand horizons and develop our learners into globally aware citizens. Bedrock Learning makes it possible to ensure regular reading of culturally enriching texts while also managing language acquisition and development in a coherent and consistent way.