Reading is a fundamental skill throughout secondary education and is essential for students to access, understand and succeed within the wider curriculum. Strong reading skills enable students to engage with increasingly complex texts, understand subject-specific vocabulary and communicate their ideas effectively across all areas of learning.
At High Tunstall College of Science, we recognise that reading has an important role to play in students’ achievement across every subject, not simply in English. Students who read confidently and understand what they read are better equipped to acquire knowledge, make connections and demonstrate their understanding in examinations and beyond. Consequently, we see reading as a whole school responsibility and an essential part of the curriculum, rather than something that sits within English alone.
Our ambition is for every student to become a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader, with the skills and habits needed to succeed academically and continue learning independently throughout their lives. In this sense, reading is not simply a way of accessing the curriculum; it is an integral part of the curriculum itself.
Language development is fundamental to reading. That’s why effective oracy is a foundation of our teaching. Teachers encourage students to share their ideas across subjects using key vocabulary to deepen their understanding of the subject while building their confidence in language use.
Year 7 and 8 students receive a fortnightly reading lesson, designed to empower them all to become fluent knowledgeable readers. Year 7 is ‘Reading for Pleasure’, where students read a class book and study a range of texts to do with topics and issues raised in their book. Year 8 is ‘Reading for Purpose’, students need to become increasingly independent and flexible readers so that they can understand increasingly complex texts, identify what is important, interpret subject-specific language and use what they have read. The two schemes use a range of rich texts, with a focus on repeated reading for fluency and knowledge enhancement. This is supported by tutor time reading and reading/literacy Welcome to your Day.
Assessment of students’ reading follows the following steps:
- Students are assessed using GL Assessment’s NGRT standardised reading test. This data provides the initial starting point for analysis to identify our weakest readers.
- Students who are identified undertake a one-to-one diagnostic reading test which is bespoke to High Tunstall College of Science. Some are led by our SEND Team or dedicated support staff. All diagnostic assessments are efficient and designed to determine the specific aspects of reading that each student finds challenging. The four key areas being: phonics, vocabulary, reading fluency and reading comprehension.
- For some students our SEND Team coordinates more in-depth diagnostic assessment, such as detailed phonics assessment or suspected speech and language issues.
- Once students’ reading barriers have been identified, we carefully select the right intervention they need. Reading interventions take place at various times in the school day, depending on reading need. All interventions are quality assured to ensure impact.
- Impact is measured using both hard and soft data. GL Assessment NGRT standardised reading tests, accurate words per minute counts, Rasinki’s fluency rubric scores and other standardised reading and spelling tests, such as the WRAT.
Developing a whole-school culture of reading
Reading is central to students’ academic success, personal development and ability to engage confidently with the wider curriculum. We want every student to recognise the value of reading and to understand how strong reading skills can open doors to future opportunities. As students progress through secondary school and prepare for important examinations, regular reading helps them to develop their vocabulary, improve their comprehension, strengthen their written communication and become increasingly confident in expressing their ideas.
We believe that reading should extend beyond the classroom and the demands of individual subjects. Exposure to a wide variety of texts, writers, perspectives and genres enables students to encounter ideas and experiences that may be unfamiliar to them. Through reading, students can develop their understanding of the world around them, consider different perspectives and build empathy. Just as importantly, reading gives students the opportunity to discover books, authors and genres that capture their interests. Our ambition is not simply to improve reading ability, but to help every student develop a genuine enjoyment of reading that can continue throughout their lives.
At High Tunstall College of Science, we therefore work hard to create a culture in which reading is visible, valued and celebrated across the school. We provide students with frequent opportunities to read for both learning and pleasure through initiatives such as World Book Day, tutor time reading, house reading competitions, our well-stocked library and Scholastic book fairs. Reading is also promoted through subject-specific libraries, recommended reading lists, wider enrichment activities and opportunities for parents and families to become involved.
Our aim is for reading to become a natural and valued part of school life. By giving students regular opportunities to read widely and encounter challenging and engaging texts, we seek to strengthen their literacy, broaden their knowledge and experiences, and support them to become confident, articulate and informed young people. Ultimately, we want every student to leave High Tunstall College of Science not only as a more capable reader, but as someone who sees reading as a source of knowledge, enjoyment and lifelong discovery.
