Reading and Language Development

The Reading and Language Development faculty provides support for students who are New to English and/or need targeted intervention to develop the skills required to keep up with the reading demands of the curriculum.

There is a diverse student population at Rushey Mead Academy, with more than 45 home languages spoken by our students. We believe it is very important that all students are taught in mainstream lessons following the full curriculum, working alongside their peers in all subjects, whatever their level of English proficiency.

When students are new to our school or come directly from overseas they are interviewed and assessed by the Language Development Team and their level of English proficiency, abilities and needs are shared with their teachers, in order for them to be supported as effectively as possible. Dependent on a student’s needs this may take the form of support in lessons, before and after school intervention classes, weekly mentoring and bespoke homework to improve their English. This gives students every opportunity to develop their English skills and become integrated into the school as quickly and as fully as possible.

Our aim is to:

Champion the diversity of languages in the school and celebrate the advantages of speaking more than one language;
Support the integration of all students within the mainstream classroom (support and mentoring provided by our Language Development Mentors);
Provide support for teachers which enables students to access mainstream teaching and learning (resources, strategies, scaffolding etc);
Provide extra-curricular support to improve the use of English within the context of the curriculum (development of academic language, intervention sessions after school, work at home, parental links);
Mentor and monitor new arrivals;
Ensure students meet the expectations of the full curriculum and participate fully in all tasks set.

In order to support your child in improving their English we recommend the websites listed below.

During induction to Rushey Mead Academy all our students have their reading proficiency assessed. This information is then used to target reading interventions based on students need. These interventions may take place during curriculum time, before or after school.

Teaching and Supporting

Reading and literacy at Rushey Mead Academy

At Rushey Mead Academy, we are committed to the belief that strong reading and literacy skills are the foundation upon which students thrive, both academically and personally. As such, all teachers are teachers of literacy.

The approach is broken into the following structure:

With a focus on reading as a fundamental skills that unlocks all facets of life, we are proud that despite around a third of students joining us with lower than age related expectations in reading, we offer a highly coordinated approach to ensure that all students have the opportunity to become life long readers.

Our school library, led by our award winning school librarian, champions the vision for reading for pleasure:

Students have library lessons and reading in tutor time
The library is open to students before, during and after school
The catalogue is inclusive and engaging
Annually, we lend over 15,500 books, averaging 10 books per hour!

Students have said the following about our library:

The atmosphere is magical. (Y10)
I like the wide variety of books, from classic novels to graphic novels. The staff are extremely approachable, kind, and always greet you with a smile. I also like the furniture, it is very practical, and the purple chairs are very comfortable, for a quick read on your own. I love using the library, it is one of my favourite, places in the school. I especially love the quizzes and competitions that are run within the library, as there are prizes to be won, Rushey rewards to be earned, and knowledge to be gained. (Y9)
I like how our school library offered a large varieties of books and has a wonderful librarian that helps every single child. (Y10)
I like that my school library is open to me to use any time and it benefits me because reading is a key part of life and knowing how to read properly can be a huge benefit in life. (Y7)
The library staff are incredibly helpful and always kind. The selection of books is impressive with plenty of options for different interests, and the space is well-organised with lots of comfortable places to sit and read. Overall, the library is a great and adds a lot to our school experience. (Y8)

Students with reading needs are supported by a tiered intervention model:

Average Progress per intervention

As a result of this, we are proud that reading trends at Rushey Mead Academy buck national trends. In a comparison of school vs national data (from the Literacy Trust annual survey), we found:

In a recent external reading audit, the auditors concluded that:

‘It was clear there is definitely a whole school culture and ethos regarding the need for a team effort in supporting pupils with their literacy skills and to instil a love of reading.’
‘a clear commitment to fostering a reading culture’
‘Reading is championed across all subjects’
‘All departments work closely together to ensure there is a rigorous approach to supporting readers’
‘Staff have received an extensive and relevant CPD programme … and… understand they have a moral obligation as educators to know why pupils need to read and to support them in getting there.’
‘What a wonderful school you have’