Accelerated Reading

In Key Stage One there has been year on year improvement in outcomes, with 87% of children achieving the expected standard (national 74%). 50% of children in this key stage have mastered reading at greater depth. At Key Stage Two, reading outcomes have steadily improved and remain above the national at 68%.

As reading underpins all learning, we needed to develop a structured approach to improve outcomes initially in Early Years and Key Stage One so that there were fewer gaps in learning as children moved into Key Stage Two.

The teaching of reading has been developed to include the following:

• We have adopted a policy of ‘every read counts’, where all staff and volunteers are trained to ensure they can offer a high quality reading session focusing on developing reading strategies and comprehension; 
• Reading is regularly tracked through running records and half termly assessments;
• The school has had sponsorship from a large supermarket to develop 'Forest Schools' and a key part of this has been the development of 'reading pods' in the wooded area;
• All volunteers and staff at every level are trained in listening and teaching reading on a 1:1 basis;
• We audited the provision of reading books to ensure that there was a wide range, which meant investment and some disposal of unsuitable texts;
• The reading schemes have been redefined and split up more to refine the levels and movement through variety of schemes. Books are mixed in the levels with different fonts, genres, sizes etc. to ensure that the reading skills are transferable;
• Each book is introduced with a book orientation session;
• Because of the increase in the number of levels, children and parents see their progress more clearly;
• Children making less progress are identified and a reading intervention is initiated. Children go through a ten week programme where they read for up to 30 minutes a day with a trained member of staff. 

'Time' has been our largest resource, to relate time for training and prioritise CPD over meetings. We have spent extra money on books.

The children are developing an intrinsic motivation to read as a result of this confidence is growing as their reading skills develop. The transference of these skills are impacting on children’s learning all the way across the curriculum.