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:

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: