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Reading
Reading is positioned at the heart of our curriculum, our culture, and our vision for every learner. We believe that reading is the gateway to the wider world: it underpins academic success across subjects, builds cultural capital, strengthens communication, and supports students’ personal development and wellbeing.
The Pillars of Reading
Our whole-school approach is research-informed, data-driven, and rooted in the principle that every student deserves to become a confident, fluent, and curious reader, regardless of starting point.
Our reading strategy is built around three pillars:
• Ensuring every child can read with fluency
• Developing the knowledge and vocabulary needed for deep comprehension
• Nurturing a rich reading culture that inspires lifelong engagement with texts
Foundations of our approach: Why reading matters
Reading is fundamental to achieving strong outcomes at GCSE, and it is central to future pathways in education, training and employment. Studies repeatedly show that reading proficiency is one of the biggest predictors of long-term academic and social success. For this reason, Aldersley High School treats reading not as an isolated skill but as a whole-school responsibility.
We draw on the best available evidence, including the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools, which highlights vocabulary, background knowledge, fluency, and comprehension as the cornerstones of progression. In addition, our approach aligns with national expectations for reading across Key Stages and is adapted to meet the specific needs of our community
Assessment, Identification and Reading Data
Aldersley High School uses a robust assessment system to monitor reading progress and identify students requiring support. We employ standardised, norm-referenced tests, which convert outcomes into scaled scores and percentile ranks. This allows teachers to:
- Benchmark performance against national norms
- Determine whether students are meeting age-related expectations
- Track progress longitudinally
- Group students for intervention based on demonstrated need
We intentionally use scaled scores rather than reading ages. This choice reflects national guidance and research indicating that standardised scores provide greater reliability, fairness, and clarity when planning interventions. Reading ages often oversimplify complex literacy profiles, whereas scaled scores give teachers precise, stable, and meaningful evidence to inform next steps.
Through detailed analysis, we compare the performance of key groups—FSM vs non-FSM, SEND, EAL, boys/girls—and use this insight to tailor provision. These findings feed directly into our literacy action plans and curriculum area-level strategies.
FASE Reading: The Core Routine for all Students
Every student at Aldersley High School engages in our structured reading routine known as FASE Reading—which stands for Fluent, Accountable, Social, Expressive. This model supports reading instruction during tutor time and across lessons, ensuring consistency of practice regardless of subject specialism.
Fluent
Students are supported to read with automaticity and prosody, encountering high-quality texts across the curriculum. Teachers explicitly model fluent reading through “I read, you read” structures.
Accountable
Accountability involves engaging with the text’s meaning. Students are taught to track difficult vocabulary, annotate key ideas, and respond to retrieval questions.
Social
Reading is designed to be a shared experience. Students discuss meanings, make predictions, and build comprehension together, supporting the collaborative dimension of literacy.
Expressive
Students learn to read aloud with appropriate tone, emphasis and phrasing. This builds confidence, performance skills, and understanding of authorial choices.
FASE Reading is a signature feature of Aldersley High School and forms a cornerstone of our reading culture. All staff are trained to deliver FASE sessions, and the routine appears in classrooms and CPD materials across the school.
The Hedges Library: A Cultural Hub
The Hedges Library is the beating heart of reading at Aldersley. As a vibrant and inclusive space, it offers a wide range of fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, poetry, and specialist subject texts. The purple-themed branding, badge system, and student-friendly displays contribute to a strong sense of identity and pride.
The library supports reading through:
- Curated reading lists for each Key Stage
- Displays aligned with seasonal themes, curriculum units, and national events
- Lunchtime clubs, book recommendation boards, and thematic reading challenges
- Links to our Reading Ambassadors and student librarians
The library plays a crucial role in motivating reluctant readers and celebrating those who excel.
The Aldersley Articulate Programme
Vocabulary is one of the biggest barriers to comprehension. To address this, we implement Aldersley Articulate, our ambitious approach to the explicit teaching of tiered vocabulary. Each subject publishes weekly vocabulary linked to their curriculum, and these are embedded into reading materials, tutor time booklets, and retrieval routines.
Students learn:
- Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Morphology (prefixes, suffixes, roots)
- Sentence construction using new words
This programme enhances academic language proficiency and supports disciplinary literacy across faculties.
Intervention and Targeted Support
Using scaled-score data, teacher observations, and SEND information, Aldersley structures a tiered intervention system:
Tier 1: Universal Provision
All students access high-quality reading instruction through FASE, vocabulary teaching, and disciplinary reading strategies.
Tier 2: Targeted Small-Group Intervention
Students just below national benchmarks receive:
- Fluency sessions
- Guided reading
- Vocabulary pre-teaching
- Comprehension strategy instruction
These interventions are delivered by trained staff using research-informed methods.
Tier 3: Intensive One-to-One Support
For students with significant reading barriers, we offer:
- Phonics-based instruction where appropriate
- Structured, evidence-based programmes
- SEND-aligned literacy development
- Reading mentor support
Progress is reviewed regularly and reported to parents.
Culture, Celebration and Motivation
A thriving reading culture is essential to raising outcomes. Aldersley High School promotes reading as a joyful, communal activity through:
- Literacy competitions
- Book Exchange and “Mystery Book Swap” events
- Read & Feed breakfast club
- Summer Book Review competitions
- National Poetry Day and World Book Day programmes
- Tutor-time reading challenges
- Strategic rewards, certificates, and Hedges Library badges
These initiatives build excitement around reading and connect students to the wider world of literature.
Professional Development for Staff
All staff are teachers of reading. We provide ongoing CPD focused on:
- Reading fluency instruction
- Modelling comprehension
- Vocabulary instruction
- Effective questioning
- Disciplinary literacy
- Reading intervention pedagogy
Sessions draw on EEF guidance, cognitive science, and the research of authors such as Alex Quigley, Daniel Willingham, and Isabel Beck.
The Impact of our Approach
Our approach ensures that:
- Reading is visible in every classroom
- Staff understand how to support literacy in their subject
- Students build fluency, confidence, and comprehension
- Reading is both a cognitive skill and a cultural experience
- Learners are prepared for GCSE, A-level, and life beyond school
Students who join Aldersley High School—whether they begin as fluent readers or need substantial support—are met with a coherent, supportive, aspirational reading environment that grows with them throughout their school journey.
