Reading
Our ongoing commitment to reading is reflected in the significant investment in new reading programmes, which now incorporates extended Form Time to encompass a love of literature. The reading hub is in the heart of the College, which allows reading to be permeated throughout the College. The college utilises the Reading Plus programme to support progress with reading and as a strand to track progress alongside NGRT tests. Data collected will allow for the creation of intervention groups who will embark on programmes of intervention, aimed to support individual progress and close existing reading gaps.
To create a true reading culture, reading must sit at the heart of all we do, with all teachers understanding their role in creating lifelong readers. To achieve this, there will be an extensive review of curriculum provision and opportunities for reading identified, planned, and resourced. Teachers will reflect on how readers read, write and speak in their discipline and will be supported, through a relevant CPD programme, to become outstanding teachers of reading for learning. Curriculum plans will evidence opportunities for reading and will reflect the needs of all students. Vocabulary will be taught explicitly with teachers identifying, teaching, and embedding relevant vocabulary to ensure learners success as they progress through the curriculum.
Implementation
The college will continue to promote reading and develop young people to become lifelong readers, by supporting key events, giving students access to new and relevant reading materials, authors, poets, and story tellers. There will be a culture of rewarding success with all stake holders invested in inspiring the students to develop a passion for reading. There will be opportunities inside and outside the curriculum to promote reading with the creation of book clubs, reading lists, and reading mentors.
To ensure that strategies are having an impact there will be scheduled points of review and evaluation. Action plans will timescale opportunities for stake holders to review the progress made and offer opportunities for rigours evaluation that will support the next phase of implementation.
Opportunities to assess student progress with reading and vocabulary will be built into the school calendar and data collected from each assessment period will support future planning and curriculum development. Intervention will follow a three-phase approach, starting with quality first teaching, curriculum support and wider school intervention. SEND children will be offered tailored support with clear entry and exit points mapped to support provision. Higher achieving students will also be identified and opportunities for extra provision and wider reading provided. Reading ages will be shared with all teachers at regular points in the year, which will in turn, promote well planned, relevant, and purposeful learning experiences.
Lesson planning and curriculum maps will identify opportunities for reading and lesson observations will comment on the teacher’s use of reading strategies to support the embedding of new and sophisticated vocabulary. Units of work will map vocabulary and opportunities for reading and plan for progression through the key stages. Teachers training needs will be identified and CPD offered across all subject areas. Curriculum areas will ensure that the new library has materials and books that will support their discipline and will access the new facility as part of the students learning experience.
A baseline of student’s attitudes to reading will be collected at the start of the academic year and again three points in the year. Comparison of data and student responses will support implementation and measure the impact of whole school strategies. Children and parents will be encouraged to support the reading culture through student and parent voice, which will be collected regularly and used to inform future planning.
Impact
GCSE and A’Level results will improve as the reading gap and the vocabulary gap is closed and students will leave Archbishop Beck not only having achieved academic success, but with a passion for reading that will stay with them beyond their school years.
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