Reading Intervention Provisions

How do we assess?

We conduct a whole cohort screening reading age test as a baseline at the start of every academic year in each year group to ensure we have a full and holistic view of the whole school to begin the process of deciding the actions we need to take.

The screening tests are useful and purposeful, especially when the data is prudently interpreted in a multifaceted way, they ensure our next steps are meaningful and right for the students, this includes looking at: the standardised score, this is useful for comparing the performance of one cohort with another; percentile score to further ascertain their performance within their cohort; the reading age of the student as a quick measure to further understand the reading ability of a student. It's important to note that a student's reading age can provide valuable insights, but the data is more effective when compared with the actual age of the student as this can highlight potential learning gaps or challenges that may need targeted intervention.

How to decide which pathway?

If the first screening test does not indicate there is a need for reading support students are then not placed on a reading support pathway. They are still monitored through classroom teachers (as we are all teachers of reading and literacy) and tested annually to monitor student's reading skills as they progress through the different stages of their education. For any student who is identified as having high proficiency in reading we invite students to book clubs, offer specific reading collections and/or leadership roles within the school as Reading Mentors or Reading Leaders.

When identifying students who require reading support we do not rely on the first screening test alone, we have a two-step screening approach. Additional screening tests are carried out for those students who are identified as a student who requires further investigation, to ascertain why their reading age is low or why they is in the percentile they are in. The additional screening tests are administered one to one, they can include but not exclusive to: Fluency Prosody Check; Reading rate tests to check reading speed and accuracy; Reading for meaning tests; phonics screening tests.

The individual diagnostic tests aids in identifying specific reading needs of student so they are placed in the most appropriate support pathway. Using all screening tests and data has created a culture of evidenced based decisions in my setting.

What provisions do we offer?

The provisions we offer sit within the three tiers of support, the framework used to provide various levels of intervention and assistance to students based on their needs. This model is commonly associated with Response to Intervention (RTI).

The tier three individual supports we are able to offer include:

The Tier 2 small group support we are able to offer include:

We are then able to offer students and parents support with reading through our home reading support packs distributed through the library. As a school, our intent is to encourage students to read at home regularly because it fosters a lifelong love for learning, enhances literacy skills, and reinforces the knowledge gained in the classroom, ultimately setting them up for academic success. The Home Reading Packs contain a choice of books aligned with the student's reading ability and support materials for both parents and students.

All systems, processes and intervention pathways are evaluated constantly in order to ensure we are being proactive in ensuring our provisions are successful and we frequently look for ways to strengthen them for future cohorts.