At De Warenne Academy, we place reading at the front and centre of our curriculum. We want our pupils to be able to access the full curriculum offer by developing a reading programme that focuses on accuracy, automaticity (speed, fluency), prosody (expression, emphasis and tone) and a love of reading.

The English secondary reading strategy is delivered via English lessons, where all pupils are given access to a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils read and reread texts to find layers of meaning and increase understanding. Each text also focuses on a key theme to encourage our pupils’ personal development.

All pupils in Years 7 and 8 are assessed using GL Assessment’s reading test https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/new-group-reading-test-ngrt .The assessment helps highlight which pupils require support with their reading. This support is provided in different ways through key literacy intervention programmes which focus on students increasing their skills and confidence with reading so they can access the academy curriculum. We use a range of intervention programmes to support the reading progression of students, ranging from; Ruth Miskin’s: Read, Write Inc Fresh Start, Rapid Plus, Reading Plus and fluency and comprehension-based reading activities. Some pupils also receive an extra timetabled English lesson, focusing on key literacy skills.

In addition, all pupils in Years 7 and 8 access the Reading Plus programme Reading Plus – Adaptive Literacy Intervention for Grades 3-12. This aims to develop comprehension and efficiency in reading and adapts to offer support and texts that are appropriate for the reading level of each individual learner.

Pupils in years 7 and 8 visit the library for 1 hour per week, as well as reading at the beginning of every English lesson. De Warenne’s library houses thousands of reading material and texts; from fiction that features classic and contemporary stories, plays, and poetry, to non-fiction texts that cover news and interests. There is a dedicated Reading Routes section for students to browse new reading material linked to their chosen route, and the library can be explored in a thematic way that encourages students to expand their reading interests.

Oracy is a key focus across the Academy and we aim to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills, confidence, and ability to express ideas. Oracy tasks are embedded across tutor time activities and curriculum areas. The Talk Toolkit can be found in pupil planners to remind pupils of the expectations and guidelines that facilitate a positive discussion. Pupils are also provided with key subject vocabulary that our students can use to articulate their ideas.

We promote literacy across the school. Each week, pupils across KS3 listen and read along to an extract from a novel. Pupils are then given the opportunity to discuss what they have read. This reading is designed to expose students to texts with diverse characters and themes.

Word of the Week introduces students to a range of new vocabulary that can be used across all subjects. Vocabulary is tied to the local context so that it is meaningful and builds cultural capital.