Reading Curriculum

Why is reading important?

At The Hamble School, we believe that reading not only gives students access to a broad and challenging curriculum but also improves their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Students who struggle to read words accurately quickly fall behind their peers. They read less and do not accumulate the necessary background knowledge and vocabulary from reading. To fulfil the demands of the secondary school curriculum, students need to be able to read age-appropriate texts fluently. Students who cannot read well are not able to access the curriculum and are disadvantaged for life. It is therefore essential that reading is a priority to prevent students from falling any further behind with their education.

In school, all students in Years 7 and 8 complete the NGRT assessment twice a year in order to assess their reading ability against  national averages. The tests are standardised on over 11,700 pupils with national benchmarks verified each year based on data from half a million pupils. The test is adaptive, so it responds to a pupil’s ability as they complete it. More able readers are challenged and struggling readers remain engaged. It provides a Standard Age Score (SAS), GCSE indicators, and progress measures to guide intervention and practical guidance for next steps. The test is widely used in Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) reading intervention projects and is recommended by Hampshire County Council. As a a school we use the data to identify where intervention may be needed, and then to monitor impact and progress made. Also, class teachers have access to the data to help inform their planning and adapt their teaching strategies effectively to support the students with their reading in lessons.

Our school reading strategy aims to promote the love of reading and remove reading barriers for students.

In order to ensure reading is prioritised we have four key strategies:

Strategy 1: High quality teaching practices used in all lessons to ensure vocabulary rich classrooms where there is strong teaching and use of rich vocabulary.

Strategy 2: A targeted vocabulary programme ‘Turn it up’ delivered once a fortnight during Tutor time. This is linked to the personal development programme to support students understanding of actions, behaviours and attitudes.

Strategy 3: A reading week per half term within the Tutor programme which gives the opportunity to improve student’s cultural capital and increases their exposure to a wide range of texts.

Strategy 4: A sound testing system which informs an intervention programme to ensure those students who are below age-related expectations do not fall behind their peers. Interventions can include: phonics, fluency, comprehension and reading for pleasure. Also includes the launch of Assisted Technology to support students with accessing assessment.

Below is an overview of the strategies and interventions used as a school to support the students with reading.

The green strategies are those that are universally used in all lessons across the school to support all students with reading. These aim to support struggling readers with accessing the curriculum but also to challenge more able readers to dig deeper into texts as well as explore more challenging materials.

The yellow strategies are those delivered by the HLTA in English and these interventions support students to access the materials and texts being used in English lessons.

The red strategies are those delivered by the Inclusion team. These strategies are for those struggling readers where their reading ability is a barrier to them accessing curriculum materials in the classroom. The interventions are Government approved and are monitored closely for impact.

Click the image for a larger view

Below is an overview of the interventions we deliver:

Every fortnight, students in Year 7 and 8 have a dedicated library lesson to allow teachers to focus on what students are reading at home and ensure it is appropriately challenging, as well as having a chance to change their library book.

We have a fantastic library that students are able to use before school Monday-Thursday and at break and lunch times. The library host many successful author events and our students have been able to meet some of their favourite authors. These events continue to support our ‘Reading for Pleasure’ message. In addition, we hold regular competitions for all students to take part in.

How to encourage reading at home?

It is vital you support us at home. Encouraging children to read at home can become more challenging and can get harder the older they get. The Book Trust give the following tips for how you can encourage your child to read at home:

• Set an example. Read yourself! It doesn’t matter what it is – pick up a newspaper or magazine, take a look at a cookery book, read a manual, enjoy some poetry or dive into a romance or detective novel. Get your children to join in – if you’re cooking, they could read the recipe.
• If you’re watching TV, put the subtitles on.
• Give books as presents. Encourage your children and their friends to swap books with each other – it will give them a chance to read new stories, and get them all talking about what they’re reading.
• Visit the local library together. It’s always fun choosing new books to read, and keep an eye out for special author events at the library or local bookshops.
• Encourage children to carry a book at all times. That way, they will never be bored (this is something you can do, too!)
• Have a family bookshelf. If you can, have bookshelves in your children’s bedrooms too.
• Keep reading together. Just because your children are older, it doesn’t mean you have to stop sharing stories.

Use the below PiXL guidance for how to discuss what you are reading: