Approach to Reading

Ark Walworth Academy’s Approach to Reading

‘One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.’ Malala Yousafzai

Ensuring our students leave school as strong and confident readers is a key priority. Through reading, students are exposed to:

Vocabulary that enables them to express themselves.
Ideas and knowledge that enables them to engage in discourse on a number of topics.
New worlds and experiences that allow them to make sense of themselves, others and the world around them.

Reading outside of school

There is an expectation that students should read:

A minimum of 6 books a year outside of their lessons

Students should bring these books to every lesson and assembly

Reading in school

At Ark Walworth Academy, within tutor time and in lessons, students are entitled to:

Guided tutor reading of a set text from Tuesday to Thursday.

Engage with 2 words of the week taught in tutor time and embedded throughout lessons

One 50 minute ‘Reading for Pleasure’ lesson in English at Key Stage 3

Knowledge Organisers

Students in Year 7-11 receive knowledge organisers, summarising key words and content to be studied in the term ahead. By learning key vocabulary in advance, students are better able to grasp knowledge and understanding in lesson.

Reading Age Test

All students in KS3 receive a reading NGRT test at the beginning of each school year to ascertain their reading age level.

Students with below expected reading ages

Key Stage 3

Students in KS3 who have the lowest reading ages attend timetabled literacy of 3 lessons per week. They then have a reading age test three times a year and this is reported to parents, alongside strategies to use at home to improve reading. This is to allow students to graduate the programme and to personalise learning for students.

The core purpose of this programme is for students to:

•Read easily, fluently and with clear understanding

•Acquire a wide vocabulary

•Use discussion to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain their understanding and ideas

•Write clearly, accurately and coherently

Other KS3 strategies

Students with the lowest reading ages are paired with 6th form reading partners 3 mornings a week to do guided reading.

We offer a 2 week intensive reading catch up run by our experienced literacy teachers to plug any gaps and to help identify any special educational needs.

Key Stage 4

Students that have not progressed to a reading age in line with their chronological age by the end of year 9 complete a Functional Skills pathway in Year 10 and 11 in place of an Option subject.

Ark Walworth Academy