At our school, we believe that reading is the foundation for success across the curriculum and beyond. We are committed to ensuring that every student develops the reading skills, confidence and independence they need to thrive. Through a range of targeted interventions and personalised support programmes, we provide additional help for students who require it, enabling them to make strong progress and develop a lifelong enjoyment of reading.
Reading Ambassadors
Our Reading Ambassador Programme provides valuable one-to-one and small-group support for students in Years 7 and 8 who would benefit from additional reading practice. Key Stage 4 Reading Ambassadors meet with students each week in the library to read together in a supportive and encouraging environment.
These sessions focus on:
- Developing reading fluency and accuracy
- Improving comprehension and understanding of texts
- Building confidence when reading aloud
- Encouraging positive reading habits
- Fostering a love of reading and enjoyment of books
The programme not only supports younger readers in making progress but also provides excellent leadership opportunities for our older students, helping to create a culture of reading across the school.
Pearson Rapid Plus
For students who are currently reading below age-related expectations, we offer the Pearson Rapid Plus intervention programme. Rapid Plus is a highly regarded literacy programme specifically designed for secondary-aged students who require additional reading support. It uses carefully levelled, age-appropriate texts that engage learners while targeting key reading skills.
Delivered in small groups, the programme focuses on:
- Improving reading accuracy and fluency
- Developing comprehension skills
- Expanding vocabulary
- Supporting reluctant and struggling readers
- Building reading confidence through achievable success
The programme’s engaging fiction and non-fiction texts are designed for older students whilst matching their current reading level, ensuring students feel motivated and supported as they make progress.
Lexonik Phonics Intervention
Some students require more intensive support to address gaps in their phonics knowledge and decoding skills. For these learners, we provide the Lexonik phonics intervention programme.
Lexonik is an evidence-informed programme designed to quickly identify and address phonics gaps, particularly for older learners who may find reading challenging. Following a diagnostic assessment, students follow a personalised learning pathway tailored to their specific needs.
The programme supports students to:
- Strengthen their understanding of phonics
- Improve decoding and word recognition skills
- Develop spelling and reading accuracy
- Increase reading confidence and independence
- Access learning more successfully across all subjects
Lexonik uses age-appropriate resources and targeted teaching to help students make rapid gains in literacy, ensuring they have the foundations needed to become confident readers.
Supporting Every Reader
By combining high-quality classroom teaching with targeted interventions such as Reading Ambassadors, Rapid Plus and Lexonik, we ensure that students receive the right support at the right time. Our aim is simple: that every student leaves our school as a confident, capable and enthusiastic reader, fully equipped to succeed in their education and future aspirations.