Reading at St Aidan's 

‘He who loves reading has everything within his reach’ - William Godwin. 

Our Vision for Reading

At St Aidan's, reading is at the heart of our curriculum because we believe that reading unlocks opportunity. We believe that confident, fluent readers are better equipped to succeed academically, communicate effectively, and engage fully with the world around them. Reading gives pupils access to the curriculum, builds vocabulary and knowledge, and opens doors to future opportunities. 

We are committed to ensuring that every pupil becomes a confident reader, regardless of their starting point or background, and that all pupils develop a lifelong enjoyment of reading. 

Our vision is to cultivate a reading culture that: 
• Ensures every child can read fluently, accurately, and with understanding; 
• Promotes reading for pleasure and lifelong learning; 
• Develops vocabulary and comprehension to support success across all subjects; 
• Embeds oracy and discussion to deepen understanding and engagement. 
This strategy aligns with our overall Literacy Strategy as well as our detailed Oracy strategy and reflects our Christian values of courage, compassion, and community. 

  ‘Today a reader, tomorrow a leader’   - Margaret Fuller.

Reading in English Lessons

In English, pupils: 

• Read a wide range of high-quality fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama 
• Are taught explicit reading strategies, including: 
  • Decoding unfamiliar vocabulary 
  • Reading fluently and with understanding 
  • Making inferences and interpretations 
• Study whole texts to build stamina, comprehension, and enjoyment 

Texts are carefully chosen to be challenging, diverse, and engaging.

Supporting Pupils Who Need Extras Help with Reading

We assess pupils’ reading on entry to the school to identify those who may need additional support through the use of the NGRT assessment. This assessment is completed bi-annually in KS3. Those pupils who score below expected reading age will then be assessed further via the use of the TEAMS fluency assessment which records pupils reading and provides in-depth analysis of not only how many words per minute a pupil reads but the errors and misconceptions read so that staff at St Aidans can provide the best bespoke support.  

Support includes: 

• Early identification of pupils reading below age-related expectations 
• Targeted interventions by a trained member of staff focusing on: 
  • Phonics and decoding – using a validated phonics scheme 
  • Reading fluency – using fluency scheme  
  • Comprehension and vocabulary 
• Regular monitoring of progress to ensure support is effective 
• Transferral of key strategies to teachers to support in the classroom, beyond intervention 

Interventions are delivered by trained staff and adapted to meet pupils’ individual needs. 

COMING SOON!!!  

We are launching the Little Wandle CODE programme aimed at KS3 pupils this term when it is released! Watch this space for further information on the new programme! 

At St Aidans, we follow the NLLT Reading Pathway flowchart and Waves to assess and provide universal or targeted support for pupils.  

Reading for Pleasure

We actively promote reading for pleasure because we know that pupils who read widely and often become stronger readers.

This includes:

• Opportunity for independent reading as part of our ‘We Read Here’ Programme.
• Weekly Tutor time reading and whole-school reading initiatives.
• Reading challenges, competitions, and themed events
• Staff sharing and modelling their own reading
• Opportunities for pupils to recommend books to others

We encourage pupils to explore a wide range of genres and authors and to find books they genuinely enjoy.

Reading Across the Curriculum

Reading is explicitly taught and supported across all subjects, not just in English.

Across the school:

• Teachers model how to read subject-specific texts, exam questions, and sources
• Key vocabulary is taught explicitly and revisited regularly through the use of unit-based glossaries stuck in the back of all pupil books, in all subjects
• Pupils are supported to understand how reading works differently in different subjects (e.g. how historians read sources or how scientists read technical texts)
• Our Teaching and Learning Framework prioritises the acquisition of progressive vocabulary and pupils will be introduced to key tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary at the start of every lesson, in every subject.
• The use of I Say, You Say supports pupils to articulate and practise pronouncing key vocabulary, supporting the develop of language and oracy skills.

This whole-school approach ensures pupils develop the reading skills they need to succeed in every subject.

Reading at Home and Parental Support

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting reading.

We encourage families to:

• Talk to pupils about what they are reading
• Encourage regular independent reading at home
• Support pupils in choosing books they enjoy
• Engaging with our Sparx Reading Homework programme with your young person for at least 30 minutes per week

Recommended reading lists and further guidance are available on request.