Reading

I read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most. ~ Margaret Atwood

Reading is a fundamental skill that all young people will need as they move through their learning journey at Bay House and transition into the wider world. Our aim is to ensure that all pupils read widely and often. We support readers to be confident and fluent whilst challenging them to access texts above their chronological age that enrich, inspire and broaden pupils’ experiences of the world.

The School Library

Details about the school library can be found here.

Reading Canon

The Reading Canon has been designed to provide pupils with a list of books that are engaging, diverse, inclusive and suited to each year group. The books have been chosen as they link to the school curriculum whilst also challenging our pupils with reading. Pupils are encouraged to read as many of the recommended texts which have been linked to a number of reading initiatives in school.

KS3 Reading Canon

KS4-5 Reading Canon

Tutor Time Reading Programme

Every Tuesday Years 7-10 take part in our Tutor Time Reading Programme. Tutor groups have been able to select their texts from a wide range of options. In order to promote high levels of reading, all staff have undergone training to support the delivery of high quality teaching of Reading during these sessions. Slides to accompany each book are used by tutors as they read aloud to pupils, who track the text with their reciprocal reading rulers. A copy of these can be found below:

Year 7-8 Tutor Time Reading Programme

Year 9-10 Tutor Time Reading Programme

Reading Across the Curriculum

Here at Bay House, we firmly believe that all teachers are teachers of Reading. Literacy Champions in every subject are working on embedding key explicit Literacy and Reading teaching strategies within their departments.

Library Lessons

Structured library lessons every four weeks provide pupils with the opportunity to explore a variety of genres and authors, offers time for shared and private reading and is a way of encouraging wider reading. By offering pupils dedicated reading for pleasure time, we hope that this, in turn, supports our whole school reading culture, the importance of reading widely and the benefits reading has on our wellbeing and academic progress.

Interventions

At Bay House, all pupils in Year 7-10 are tested termly using Renaissance STAR Reader. Pupils identified in KS3 that require further support with reading have access to bespoke intervention sessions.