Reading Strategy

““The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr Seuss

Love of Learning is an integral part of our curriculum at Burnley High School and is fostered through high quality curriculum thinking and teaching. At Burnley High School, we promote a love of reading during form time, appoint form librarians who lead their form members in lending books from our library and encourage all our students to read subject specific literature within curriculum time, during extended learning or at home.

The high importance we place on reading is made clear in the structure of our school day with activities in form time, access to subject-specific texts in lessons and a school library that is open during our students’ form time and free time.

Our students are encouraged to spend time reading in the bespoke reading area or take books home to enjoy in their own space. Our classrooms also have a ‘Reading Corner’ where students have access to subject-specific reading to help with homework or inspire future careers!

All Year 7 students complete an online GL Reading Assessment which gives detailed information and data on reading age and comprehension skills. The results from the assessment, along with other sources of information, informs teacher planning, to ensure that all students achieve their potential at Burnley High School. All other year groups complete the New Group Reading Test which is used to inform planning, identify areas for intervention and to track pupils’ ability and progress in reading and comprehension.

A bookmark created by one of our students following our World Book Day:

“Reading helps students gain knowledge which leads to better writing.” – Education Endowment Foundation.

Schemes of Work are designed at Burnley High School with vocabulary development as a focus in every subject, to explicitly teach tier 2 (high frequency words found in many subject areas) and tier 3 words (subject-specific vocabulary) to build exposure to academic language. Students also have access to Subject Knowledge Indexes for every topic they study that explicitly highlights key terminology to support their learning.

Remembering key vocabulary, its use and meaning is supported strongly through retrieval practice at the start of all lessons, and throughout the curriculum journey.

In addition, to support a reading culture we have:

• KS4 Reading Mentors who work with our KS3 learners

• Reading Corners in every classroom
• Reading for Staff
• All year 7 students have a reading book as part of their essential equipment.
• Form Librarians.
• Calendared days to celebrate books and authors.
• Reading swap shop – our learners donate books and swap books so they always have something new to read!

Reading at Home

“Effective readers continually draw upon a complex wealth of prior knowledge about the world and language.” – Education Endowment Foundation.

At Burnley High School, we strive to build knowledge and vocabulary rich students through our curriculum, with a focus on reading within every subject. In addition to any reading students complete in curriculum time, any reading they do outside of the classroom will only strengthen this knowledge, build vocabulary further and support their confidence.

How can parents & carers encourage reading?

• Create your own mini library – find somewhere within the home, or your child’s bedroom, to display their books and keep them safe.
• Visit your local libraries – There is an abundance of books and other reading materials not that far away and it is all free!

Burnley Library

• You can also access and download e-books for free here
• Read as a family – Talk to your child about the books you are reading or have read. Encourage older siblings to read to younger ones and it does not always have to be a book. Direct your child to interesting articles in the newspaper or a magazine, they could even read the ingredients list of your favourite recipe!
• Contact us – If in doubt about what is suitable for your child to be reading, or you just want some advice.

Be positive, be encouraging and take time to read.