Reading is Power at Swindon Academy
At Swindon Academy, we believe that being fluent in reading and having access to rich range of reading opportunities across the curriculum is the entitlement of all students. We believe that is thorough reading that pupils deepen their knowledge of the world around them and our aim is to inspire love of reading. For these reasons, reading is one of our top priorities and a key feature of student learning in the following ways;
Read Aloud (daily reading)
Every student at Swindon Academy has the opportunity to read and explore the texts presented in our whole-school reading canon found here (add in link). We start each academy day with a read aloud session with pupils in years 7-10. In this 25 minute daily session students listen to their tutors reading to them some of the best fiction and non-fiction texts ever written. During these sessions, students will get to discuss the themes presented in the text with their peers.
Reading for pleasure
Our library is packed with exciting books that our students have free choice to select from. We encourage students to read at home every day and provide two 20 minutes opportunities across the school week to immerse themselves in their chosen books. It is therefore important that students have their own personal reading book with them everyday and this is the first item that we check each morning in roll-call.
At KS3 we also offer students as part of prep, access to Sparx Reader which is online programme supporting students to increase levels independent reading. Sparx reader automatically adapts the texts provided based on a student’s reading age, providing them with a variety of appropriately challenging reading material, accessible on a tablet or phone
Reading across the curriculum
Students gain access to subject specific reading through well-sequenced reading opportunities across our curriculum. Through this our students are exposed to a range of different writing styles and able to learn the subject vocabulary that helps to become expert readers and writers.
To further support students to develop their range of vocabulary we also offer students as part of prep, access to Bedrock. This platform teaches students new vocabulary through interactive games and quizzes whilst also encouraging reading.
Reading support
We offer a range of supportive reading interventions to support pupils in developing phonological awareness, decoding and fluency. On entry to secondary school all pupils are tested to diagnose reading difficulties and pupils are offered intervention on needs by need basis. All students are retested at the start and end of every academic year so that we can be certain that we address the reading needs of all our students.