Whole-school literacy at Preston School
At Preston School, we recognise that literacy is at the core of everything we do in preparing our young people for a successful and prosperous future. In the following report: Literacy Changes Lives 2014, research suggests there are ‘potential social and economic gains to be made by improving literacy levels.’
So, what is meant by literacy? The National Literacy Trust defines literacy as: the combination of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills we all need to fulfil our potential. These life skills are essential to the happiness, health and wealth of individuals and society. (National Literacy Trust 2024)
We believe that literacy underpins everything we do and here at Preston School, we are working hard to nurture and improve our students’ literacy skills across the whole curriculum. It is essential that our work is in partnership with families therefore, we have provided useful resources which are not only accessible to teaching staff and students, but to families for use outside the classroom (these will be added to and amended when necessary). In recent years, curriculum changes have placed even further emphasis on improving literacy standards and it is paramount to understand this has to be achieved by working together: students; families and teachers.
Being literate enables a child to access the whole curriculum and further their chances of a successful future; the national curriculum currently states: ‘Teachers should develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject,’ (DfE KS3 & 4 Framework) but this is something that can also be encouraged outside of the classroom and it is hoped that our resources will prove to be useful tools for everyone.
Reading
Our ambition for reading
At Preston our ambition is for all of our young people to be reading at or above their chronological age, by the end of Year 9 at the latest. This will allow students to confidently access their Key Stage 4 curriculum and GCSE exams. Further, confidence in reading will lead to students reading regularly, which will increase their cultural capital, enhance their vocabulary and develop their imagination. We aim to build a reading culture where students develop a love of reading and read for pleasure.
A good grounding in reading is essential for students’ acquisition of knowledge and their ability to develop schema (making connections between the things that they know, both within and across their subjects). The average reading age required to access GCSE level texts and examination papers is 15 years and 8 months. We therefore have a comprehensive and rigorous approach to reading, which ensures that our students develop the knowledge, vocabulary and reading fluency to access the curriculum and their exams, and that they leave school with sufficient reading skills for future learning and employment.
We ensure that our students read widely and constructively, and students’ reading supplements our curriculum to ensure that students leave us with sufficient knowledge and cultural capital to succeed in life. Our approach to reading develops students’ reading skills, comprehension and accuracy and their confidence and enjoyment in reading.
Building a reading culture is particularly important at Preston School. Studies show that girls outperform boys in reading and literacy skills and that boys are more likely to leave school unable to read. Research by the National Literacy Trust found that the gender reading enjoyment gap increased five-fold during lockdown, with 60.2% of girls saying they enjoyed reading during lockdown, compared with 48.9% before, while only 48.7% of boys said they enjoyed reading amid the pandemic, compared with 46.6% pre-lockdown. In this context, we must take a robust approach to boys’ reading at Preston School.
How we ensure children become good readers
Reading as part of the curriculum
In Years 7, 8 and 9 reading is timetabled as part of the curriculum. In Year 7 students have an hour of reading a fortnight in the library. This allows dedicated time to read collectively as a group and then for students to read a book of their choosing independently. All years have Sparx Reading Lessons for an hour a fortnight. During this lesson, students read using the Sparx Reading program and answer comprehension questions. In addition to these lessons, students have independent reading sessions during tutor time and class Read to Succeed lessons each day in the afternoon.
After undertaking a New Group Reading Test (NGRT) Students will be tiered enable staff to establish who may need more support or more challenge during lessons:
| Reading Age Range Across the Cohort Test 1 | ||||
| Reading Tier Profile of Student | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | |
| Tier 1- Students testing Sig + above their CRA | > 14 | > 15 | > 16 | |
| Tier 2- Students testing in line with their CRA | 10.6 - 14 | 11.06 - 15 | 12.06 - 16 | |
| Tier 3 - Students testing below their CRA | 9 - 10.6 | 10 - 11.06 | 11 - 12.06 | |
| Tier 4- Students testing Sig - below their CRA | < 9 | < 10 | < 11 | |
| Average Chronological Reading Age | 11 - 12 | 12 - 13 | 13 - 14 | |
A Step-Up group has a strong literacy support focus in place for students who require additional literacy support in Years 10 & 11. These lessons focus on reading and writing skills and vocabulary development. Students are assigned to this class in discussion with the SENCO.
Across both KS3 and KS4, vocabulary is focused on in every lesson with key words displayed and referred to as part of the whole school teaching and learning policy. Teaching reading and developing vocabulary is seen as part of the responsibility of all teaching staff. All Subject Improvement Plans include an objective to develop reading within their curriculum areas with Literacy Leads in each department working with the school Literacy & Oracy Leader.
In addition, there are other interventions and support which may be put into place to support with reading:
| Reading Tier Profile | Intervention/Support/Challenge |
| Tier 1 - Students testing 2 Years above CRA |
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| Tier 2 - Students testing from 1 year 10 months above to 2 months below CRA |
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| Tier 3 - Students testing from 3 months to 1 year 11 months below CRA |
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| Tier 4 - Students testing from 1 year 10 months below CRA |
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The table below gives the list of titles we cover in reading lessons at school:
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Years 10 and 11 |
|
Myths and Legends Stone Cold Nature Poetry A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
The Tempest Gothic Fiction WW1 Poetry Small Island |
Lord of the Flies Macbeth Disturbed Voices Poetry Non-Fiction Texts |
A Christmas Carol Family and Relationship Poetry An Inspector Calls Romeo and Juliet Unseen Poetry |
Reading in tutor time
Within the tutor time programme, a slot has been designated each term as an opportunity for reading to take place:
- Pleasure
- Class Reads
The Sparx Reader Programme
We’ve partnered with Sparx to start using their new reading platform, Sparx Reader. Your child will be using Sparx Reader to complete weekly homework.
Your child’s homework will be set on Monday and due on Sunday every week.
Sparx Reader helps every student to achieve regular independent reading, which is incredibly important for building vital literacy skills.
Students can choose from a range of ebooks at their appropriate level and as they read, they’ll answer questions to check they’re reading carefully. Careful readers earn points meaning they can track their progress and climb the league table!
Motivated readers who demonstrate consistent, careful reading can unlock Gold Reader. This means they can read any paper book from the library or from home by scanning in its barcode.
How do they log in?
- Students log in via their student portal. The link will take them to the Sparx reader site.
What devices are supported?
- Your child can access Sparx Reader on any device that connects to the internet with a web browser.
How can I support my child with their reading?
- Sparx Reader adapts to each student’s reading level, so it’s important that you don’t help by answering questions for them. If you help them, Sparx Reader might think they’re a very strong reader and show them books that are too difficult.
- You can however help to provide a quiet space for your child to focus on their reading homework each week.
- The best way to support your child is to ask them about the book they’re reading; what aspects they’re enjoying, or what characters and events they’ve recently read about.
How can I monitor the reading my child is doing?
- You are able to keep track of the reading your child is doing by clicking through the link to the Parent Portal in your Sparx Maths weekly homework email.
On the Parent Portal, you can choose to view homework progress for any Sparx learning system your child is using. For Sparx Reader, you can see progress with the current and previous homework and browse books that your child has been reading as part of their current homework.
What support is available at Preston?
- Homework Club runs from Monday to Thursday in room 20.
- Students also have access to ILS2 at break and lunch times.
How we foster a love of reading
The Library
Our impressive school library has been completely redesigned to actively encourage reading for pleasure. The new layout allows for whole class reads, with additional zoned areas for more intimate groups. With clean and tidy desks and plenty of comfortable seating, the library can now be used at break and lunchtimes for relaxed reading, focussed study and fun activities, such as crafts, book quizzes and board games.
With a focus on wellbeing and mindfulness, it is intended that students feel relaxed and at ease when using the space. Kindness, respect, and teamwork is actively promoted and so the library is an extremely popular hub to meet, learn and grow together at Preston School. Rather than having to be silent in the library, students are welcome to engage with each other in a respectful manner. As a result of these positive values, new friendships are often forged.
Our brand-new computerised booking system allows students to search for exciting books and challenging reads via the student portal. This also ensures students can leave book reviews to encourage their peers to try new books and different genres.
We aim to ignite a love of reading in all its forms at Preston School and annual investment in our library ensures stock remains up to date and appeals to all ages and abilities.
Reading Competitions
We run a few reading competitions throughout the year and have a whole school approach to ‘World Book Day’ with lots of activities going on, such as the collaborative reading of a short story at the start of each lesson throughout the day, and staff dressing up as book characters.
We have a ‘Canon Champion’ Reading Challenge each Year to encourage students to read an array of diverse genres across all year groups. If this is achieved a certificate, a book of their choice and a bookmark is presented to these students in addition to celebration events. It really is a phenomenal achievement!
Spelling Bee, Events, and Information
Our English team run a Spelling Bee for Year 7 and 8 students to further promote an enjoyment and aspirational culture when it comes to reading and literacy.
We also have our ‘Book Tree’ on display in the library which is updated regularly with staff and pupil recommendations of books to read from a ‘genre of choice’ each term.
Visits to see authors present their writing will be arranged as they occur throughout the year.
Staff Training
Reading and vocabulary development is a focus for staff training through INSET days, staff meetings and Teaching and Learning briefings. This ensures reading remains high profile and all teachers and teaching assistants have strategies to use to develop vocabulary and support reading, including a basic understanding of phonics.
Intended Impact of our reading strategy
Our intended impact is that pupils develop a love of reading, develop the reading skills, fluency, vocabulary and knowledge to access the full curriculum, to build cultural capital and be fully prepared for the next stage of their education.
We are aiming that:
- By the end of Year 9 (KS3) all our students are reading at their chronological age or have surpassed it
- The majority of our students are entered for and achieve the EBacc in Year 11
- Year 11 students achieve a good set of GCSE outcomes which allows them to progress to their intended destination with over 90% achieving a Grade 4 or above in English
Supporting Reading at Home
At home, you can help encourage your young person to read by:
- Discussing books with them
- Asking questions about what they have read
- Visiting your local library together. Yeovil library is free to join and has a wide selection of books for adults, young adults and children
- Modelling regular reading yourself is another good way to encourage young people to read
Together, we can help every young person to be a successful reader!
To support the school reading programme, you can do the following:
- Ensure that your child is reading for at least 20 minutes per day
- Ensure that your child is doing Sparx reader if their year group is using the programme
For further tips on how you can support with reading at home please click on the link below:
7 Top Tips For Supporting Reading At Home
