Reading at Ribblesdale

Reading is the gateway to understanding, achievement and the skill that makes all other learning possible. Not only does reading provide individuals with the building blocks for academic success, but for fulfilling careers and rewarding lives. As such, we recognise the necessity for pupils to enter the world of work as literate and articulate individuals with high levels of communication skills.

Reading is central to the expectations and skills associated with the Ribblesdale Way. All pupils in school are offered the opportunity to develop skills to become fluent and confident readers. Extra support is available for struggling readers as we recognise that competence in reading is the key to independent learning and progress across the curriculum.

Language and reading are combined in our approach through all key stages. Effective identification allows us to target support in the right areas in order to develop confidence and fluency in reading. Pupils are supported to become fluent and capable readers through a balanced range of approaches including quality-first, inclusive teaching and structured programmes of quality assured intervention.

Support for developing readers

To raise the level of attainment in reading in all subject areas we give every pupil the opportunity to maximise their potential through quality-first inclusive practices in the classroom. We recognise that all teachers are facilitators of reading and literacy and have a responsibility to promote high expectations across all subject specialisms.

Curriculum leaders foster a love of reading through a reading rich curriculum. We develop high standards of disciplinary literacy that include opportunities for wider reading and tiered vocabulary that are integrated and mapped into curriculum intent.

We recognise that children benefit from access to a balanced range of approaches to become effective readers. All children are assessed using a standardised reading test at the beginning of each academic year in order to measure reading progress and identify where intervention may be needed.

We offer high quality, structured intervention to provide targeted additional support for struggling readers to improve their phonological awareness, vocabulary and automaticity. Pupils also develop comprehension and higher order thinking skills through dedicated reading lessons in Year 7.

Opportunities for reading in school and home:

At Ribblesdale School we take the view that extensive reading, exposure to a wide range of texts and reading for pleasure each make a vital contribution to every child’s educational achievement and personal development.

We aspire to promote a positive ethos of reading across school and at home and for every child to read successfully and fluently, regardless of ability or social and economic circumstances. All pupils at Ribblesdale have the chance to follow an enriching curriculum and are encouraged to read extensively around subject specialisms and at home.

The Ribblesdale School Library is a state of the art, fully resourced and redeveloped library space, that has been designed to welcome everyone and support their information needs as well as their reading tastes. In addition to this, pupils have access to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts through carefully sourced digital reading platforms designed to promote reading for pleasure both in school and at home.

All pupils read during literacy time through a designated form period each week. Pupils also attend a dedicated reading lesson as part of the Year 7 literacy curriculum which offers the opportunity to read for pleasure, implementation of additional support and the explicit teaching of core reading skills.

As children that enjoy reading are more likely to have better understanding as well as positive mental well-being, we offer a rolling programme of special events and challenges, guest speakers and visiting poets and authors, ensuring that reading remains relevant and engaging throughout the life of the school community.