To foster a love of reading, upon which vocabulary acquisition and academic success is based, we read a wide range of texts as part of our ‘Reading Aloud’ curriculum. During tutor time, and in one library session per week at Key Stage 3, students follow a class text selected due to its reflection of our ASPIRE values and its cultural richness. Students and staff discuss the issues raised in these texts as part of their library sessions, developing their oracy skills in the process.
In addition to the texts studies as part of the ambitious English curriculum, this means a student joining Year 7 will leave at the end of Year 11 having read at least 25 novels in addition to a range of plays, poetry and non-fiction texts. Students are also encouraged to borrow books for independent reading from our extensive selection in the library.
To ensure all students can access the curriculum, we run engaging and supportive small-group intervention. Students who would benefit from this follow the ‘Pearson Rapid Plus’ programme, enabling them to read at a functional level; we also deliver intervention using Lexonik to further build skills. There is also dedicated support for students with English as an additional language (EAL) to improve their literacy, and we have staff with expertise in phonics who work with hose who need to develop foundational reading skills.