Whole School Reading Strategy

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Reading for all at Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College 

Targeted Intervention 

Additional support for the weakest readers 

Reading independently and for pleasure 

English Curriculum 

Wider Curriculum 

Use ART (Access Reading Test) results to identify students who have a reading age more than 6 months below their chronological reading age. 

Students identified are then grouped according to how far below their actual ages are. 

6 months to 1.5 years below 
Focussed Reading Plus support with individualised sessions to address gaps when necessary. 

1.5 – 3 years below 
2 x 30-minute sessions each week using Reading Plus, reading practise and comprehension. 

3 Years below + 
Reading Plus support 2 x 30-minute sessions a week and if necessary additional time where possible.  Liaise with SEND team if additional intervention is happening.  Phonics support, targeted blending and segmenting help is also offered. 

On average, students in targeted interventions are 2.5 years below their chronological age at initial testing. 

A wide variety of books are offered and a full-time Librarian is always available in the library. 
Reading recommendations are on the college website and pupils are encouraged to ask.   

In college we have: 

  • Book clubs: Manga, KS4, Reading Stars – Year 9 & 10 
  • Pupil library helpers 
  • Book events with visiting Authors. We have had 2 this year and 1 last year.   
  • Competitions. 
  • A special focus on World Book Day for all students. 
  • Reading newsletter. 
  • Paired reading with local primary school, TBC on a regular basis. 
  • Reading competitions – internally and a nationwide competition. 
  • Book swaps in English corridor: Free books available for all.  
  • Yr 7 Library introductions through form teachers (Term 1).  
  • Worcester Hive visits for all of Y7 in Term 2 to extend library use. 
  • Yr 7 sponsored Read: all Yr 7s encouraged to take part (minutes read, not total books). 
  • World Book Day – Masked reader, staff competition, Door decorating competition, book stall.  Promoting book “chatter”. 
  • “Book in a Day” – Year 7 & 8  
  • Read abridged version of a book in sections, 1 per lesson.  Year 9 read 6 short stories in the day. 
  • Year 10 paired reading at Cherry Orchard with 38 Students. 
  • Student voice: Reading Reps for each form, meeting half termly. 
  • Reading Champions in Year 9 to work with younger students. 

Summer 2025 
Yr 10 Hive visits for AI workshop & reading for learning resources introduction. 

  • Pre-teach vocabulary in knowledge-based learning objectives. 
  • Use audio for fluency and intonation. 
  • Cold read at KS4 for whole novel context. 
  • 3 R’s = 3 Read strategy: 

Read 1.  Construct (Read aloud, students follow). 
Read 2.  Deconstruct  (re-read and annotate). 
Read 3.  Reconstruct (Formulate an answer /essay response). 

  • Posture for reading for up to 30 minutes (sit up straight). 
  • Aids for reading, such as reading ruler, finger, coloured overlay to promote concentration.  
  • Reciprocal teaching for guided reading DFES strategy. 
  • Promote functional reading skills, skim, scan and retrieve. 

Tutor Reading: KS3 & KS4 

  • Yr 7 – 2×20 mins fiction only. 
  • Yr 8 & 9 – 1×20 min only
  • All currently novels/SS 
  • Yr 10 – 1×20 min a week 
  • Mixed fiction & Non-fiction.  Some short whole novels and very short stories. 
  • Non-fiction consists of articles, theme-based from various media and non-fiction books. 
  • Content to support PDE topics e.g. Sports articles. PDE linked Themes and compare viewpoints e.g. two articles on same subject – Tattoos 
  • Yr 11 as above but just term 1. 

Reading for learning – Curriculum support of academic reading:  

  • Staff teaching decoding strategies trialled Autumn/Spring 2025 
  • Staff teaching comprehensions skills- departments to trial different one each. 
  • Vocabulary strategies: Pixl mats for common vocabulary& subject specimen.  Use of words e.g. ‘similar’ in Maths.  
  • Wider Reading requirement: All subjects to include reading aloud, reading hubs, reading comprehension. 
  • Department reading lists published on website and books in classrooms and corridors.