Reading Strategy

Intent

At Penwortham Priory Academy, we value reading and the building of a reading culture in our staff and young people.

Every subject has a reading-rich curriculum, which increases background knowledge and cultural capital. Our aim is for every pupil to increase in their confidence and fluency in reading whilst at Penwortham Priory Academy. We foster a culture of reading around school, in every classroom, with every teacher. We want our pupils to have a curiosity for reading and to explore the world around them through both non-fiction and fiction.

At Penwortham Priory Academy, we identify gaps in reading skills quickly and intervene so that pupils can read either at or above their chronological age. Our aim is to build an outstanding reading school.

We align our approach to reading with current research in:

1.   EEF Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools
2.   DfE 'The Reading Framework'
3.   DfE 'Now the whole school is reading'

Updated: 13/02/2024 217 KB

Implementation

Leaders understand the importance of disciplinary literacy and have built meaningful opportunities for reading into their schemes of learning. We employ generic approaches and subject specific reading strategies to promote reading across the curriculum. All teachers have received CPD on how to incorporate reading into their lessons, and how to promote reading skills to pupils, in particular, reciprocal teaching of reading strategies (summarise, clarify, predict, ask questions) and ARC (activate prior learning and vocabulary, read for comprehension, consolidate learning by engaging with what has been read). This greatly increases reading ‘mileage’ for pupils, enables them to become more fluent readers and aids comprehension.

At Key Stage 3, as part of their English lessons, every pupil has a dedicated reading lesson, one hour per week. In this lesson, pupils read articles online using a programme called Reading Plus. This platform provides reading exercises that are bespoke to pupil's interests and reading abilities. See more about Reading Plus here >> Reading Plus - Adaptive Literacy Program - Hybrid Learning.

In addition, pupils can visit our school library to borrow a book and engage in their own choice of private reading. The school library supports pupils and departments by providing relevant resources to support the curriculum and a supportive environment to stimulate, maintain and develop a lively and enquiring mind and an enjoyment in reading.

Click to find out more about our school library supports the whole school approach to reading.

We are in the process of developing departmental libraries and quiet study zones across the school to enhance 'in school' opportunities for pupils to read for pleasure. Take a virtual visit to the Humanities library here.

Reading for pleasure is also supported in these ways:

• Books being provided to Year 7 in the annual 'Bookbuzz' event

Bookbuzz school reading programme for Year 7 and Year 8 | BookTrust

• Hosting an annual Scholastic Book fair

Scholastic Book Fair | Penwortham Priory Academy

• Promoting World Book Day

World Book Day | Penwortham Priory Academy

Departments routinely include explicit teaching of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary in their schemes of learning. Displays around school and glossaries in subjects reflect the vocabulary being taught in lessons.

To further promote interaction with vocabulary, there is a weekly competition open to all pupils called 'The Chilli Challenge' that encourages interaction with 30 Tier 3 words in the subjects of English and Maths that pupils either struggle to spell, or use correctly.

Click Tiered vocabulary in the classroom | Bedrock Learning to read more about the different tiers of vocabulary.

For homework, all pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 have access to 'Bedrock Learning', a personalised online vocabulary and grammar programme. Click here to learn more about Bedrock https://youtu.be/Fj7cnxxXK0U

We designate specific time slots in Years 7-10 when all four Learning for Life (L4L) sessions are reserved exclusively for reading. During these sessions, pupils in Years 7-10 engage with a class reader alongside their tutor, allowing us to place a greater emphasis on reading development. Year 11 will also receive time throughout the year to read a range of short stories and non-fiction articles spanning a range of subjects. Read more about 'Everybody Reading' here...

Everybody's Reading | Penwortham Priory Academy

All pupils who are new to the school have their reading abilities tested using the Reading Plus programme which helps to diagnose any gaps in reading skills. Pupils may be required to attend Reading Plus intervention as a result and we communicate with parents and staff where this is the case to ensure they are aware what help is being provided and what they can do to support.

Impact

We analyse impact on reading progress in a variety of ways:

Bedrock and Reading Plus provide data reports for us to analyse.

Engagement with the Chilli Challenge is measured weekly and promoted by House Leaders.

We conduct pupil voice surveys about reading across subjects

For more details on our reading strategy, please click here.

Reading Strategy

Intent