- The curriculum provides frequent exposure to texts in lessons – fiction and non-fiction – that are both engaging and challenging, exposing students to a selection of the best that has been thought and written.  This allows students to accrue ‘reading miles’.

- This reading is supported and extended beyond the classroom by directed homework reading of thematically relevant short articles/extracts for comprehension (assessed through online Multiple Choice Questions).

- Reading tasks systematically support students to set a clear goal for reading (e.g. through a question that demands high-level comprehension of the text). 

- Reading tasks initially prioritise general reading over analytical reading on the basis that it is very difficult to analyse a text we only partially comprehend.

- This is particularly supported through the fast reading of literature texts – focusing on general comprehension – (see Westbrook et al.) 

- We recognise that adjusting the way in which students access a text can adjust the inherent challenge presented by that text.  For example, students can access far more challenging texts with support – such as when the texts are read aloud and/or comprehension is scaffolded by the teacher – than they can independently.  Via this ‘sliding scale’ of support, we are able to pitch challenge appropriately.

- When reading aloud with students, 'Control the Game’ is used in order to ensure that reading is meaningful and highly leveraged (i.e. that passivity is avoided and as many students as possible are actively engaged with the reading process).

- Reading and writing are taught as two sides of the same coin so that, for example, knowledge of how to read a particular text type provides insights into how to write similar texts (see comprehension components above).  Learning how to write a particular text type, meanwhile, is used to help students to read texts as writers and to be alert to the ways in which they have been crafted. 

- Using Frayer models to explicitly teach new vocabulary allows us to teach the explicit meaning of language.

The students are clearly being exposed to challenging texts within their English lessons and both students and teacher voice shows a positive response to the majority of these texts.  (In particular, the Year 7 & 8 students talk especially positively about ‘Animal Farm’.)

Fast reading of full literature texts (with a focus on comprehension) is a clear curriculum strategy and is supported by the Standard of Learning resources and Medium Term Plans. 

On the whole, this has been met positively by teachers and students and we can see a real improvement in the students’ knowledge of the text (especially lower ability and SEND students).

Reading as an English expert is an overarching principal of our WeST English curriculum and students are becoming far more adept at speaking and writing about writers’ craft and text as a construct. 

How best to format the reading H/Ls across year 7-10 is a current focus for WeST HoDs meetings, English Leadership meetings and department meetings.

Each term we have tried different formats and will use student and teacher feedback at the end of the year to decide which approach is model engaging and effective.