Reading

We believe reading unlocks our curriculum, opens a treasure trove of adventures and information and provides an invaluable life skill.

A variety of different reading programmes operate within our school to support our students’ love of reading and reading fluency. We provide a phased approach to reading that encourages reading at every level.

Lexia is a comprehensive computer based and personalised reading programme, specifically designed for Year 7 onwards. Students are supported to increase their automatic word recognition by reinforcing phonic elements and sound/symbol relationships. Intervention activities provide extensive practice in everything from basic phonological awareness to advanced word-attack strategies; vocabulary development based on Latin word roots is developed in the Latin lessons that starts in Year 7.

‘Drop everything and read’ (DEAR) aims to develop a lifelong love of reading, motivate students to read more challenging books and most importantly raise literacy standards for students of all ages and abilities which will benefit them not only in English but also across our curriculum.

With a greater emphasis on literacy across all subjects, DEAR is a vital part of our curriculum to develop not only reading skills but also students’ range of vocabulary and comprehension skills. Our departments focus the importance of ‘disciplinary’ or subject vocabulary within their delivery to develop content knowledge and aid reading in lessons.

Our school provides opportunities to encourage older students to read with younger students and to provide opportunities to discuss what they are reading. In class, subjects design activities that encourage students to read for information. We ask parents to encourage their child to read at home. 

There is a strong focus on students’ literacy and numeracy skills within our curriculum. Our academies Literacy and a Numeracy Co-ordinators promote the focus of these skills across the curriculum and our Directors of English (Mrs G Asplin) and Maths (Mr T Sus), support the development and tracking of these initiatives etc.

Departments provide a variety of programmes and initiatives such as Accelerated Reader, Maths-Watch, and Doctor Frost Maths. Our school promotes ‘disciplinary literacy’ – to write, read, speak and debate like a Scientist, Artist or Historian. Feedback reflects on students’ punctuation and spelling accuracy; spelling programmes are used and subject vocabulary is defined and promoted in lessons.

Marking codes are consistently used across all subjects. In numeracy consistent approaches are promoted across subjects and programmes such as White Rose Maths and Maths Rock Stars operate. 

For those students requiring specific literacy and numeracy support, small group and bespoke programmes are provided