Reading
Today A Reader. Tomorrow A Leader.
At Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School, reading is not just a subject: it is the foundation of everything we do. We know that pupils who read regularly and widely make significantly more progress in their education, not only in English but across the curriculum. Reading builds knowledge, improves writing and vocabulary, and even strengthens problem-solving skills in mathematics and science. Research suggests that pupils need to acquire around 50,000 words to succeed in their education – and after the age of five, most of these words are learned through reading.
That is why reading at Dame Elizabeth is centered around three core principles:
· Reading for Progress – giving pupils the tools to develop their reading ability, so they can access every subject with confidence.
· Reading for Success – equipping pupils with the vocabulary and comprehension skills needed to excel in exams and beyond school life.
· Reading for Pleasure – fostering a lifelong love of books, stories and ideas, so that reading becomes a source of joy as well as achievement.
Accelerated Reader
To embed these principles, every Year 7 student has a dedicated Accelerated Reader session once a week, while Year 8 pupils take part fortnightly. These sessions combine class readers with opportunities for pupils to explore our extensive library catalogue and make independent choices that reflect their own interests.
Accelerated Reader is closely linked to our “60 words richer in …” curriculum, which ensures that students are regularly exposed to the ambitious, challenging vocabulary needed to succeed across all subjects. Each pupil receives personalised takeaway homework designed to extend their independent reading and support the vocabulary and themes they encounter in class.
To monitor progress, pupils sit regular STAR and AR tests. These provide teachers, parents, and pupils with up-to-date information about each child’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and ensure that reading recommendations are matched to their current level, while still offering the right amount of stretch and challenge.
Reading Intervention at Dame Elizabeth
We believe that every child should be supported to become a confident reader. That’s why, twice a year, all pupils sit the New Group Reading Test (NGRT). The results are used to identify pupils who may need additional support, allowing us to form targeted intervention groups so that no student is left behind.
Our interventions include:
· Fresh Start Phonics (Years 7 & 8): small group work focusing on phonemic awareness, decoding and fluency, ensuring that pupils have the essential skills needed to access texts with confidence.
· Lexonik (Years 9 & 10): an intervention designed to unlock vocabulary and comprehension, equipping pupils with strategies to decode unfamiliar words and understand challenging texts.
· VIPERS Comprehension Group (KS4): the second stage of support for pupils who require additional help with reading comprehension. Using the VIPERS framework (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Summarising), students develop the higher-order skills required for success at GCSE and beyond.
Through these targeted programmes, pupils gain the tools they need to make rapid progress and access the full breadth of the curriculum.
A Whole-School Reading Culture
Reading at Dame Elizabeth is not confined to the English classroom. We have embedded our HIGH 5 reading principles across the school – a science-backed, research-led approach influenced by Alex Quigley’s Closing the Reading Gap. These principles are designed to ensure that all pupils, regardless of starting point, can access challenging texts and engage with the big ideas that underpin the curriculum.
Teachers in every subject use shared strategies to support pupils in unlocking meaning, building vocabulary, and developing confidence as independent readers. Reading is everybody’s responsibility, and pupils quickly see that the skills they gain in one subject are transferable to others.
Support for Families
We know that parents and carers play a vital role in supporting their child’s reading journey. If you would like further guidance, advice on choosing the right book, or support with encouraging your child to read at home, we recommend visiting the DECS Oliver website, which contains useful tips, resources, and our full library catalogue.
Together, we can ensure that every pupil leaves Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School not just able to read but inspired to read.
