At Silverdale, we believe that reading is fundamental to learning and future success. Strong reading skills enable students to access our ambitious curriculum, develop knowledge and become increasingly independent learners.

Developing literacy is the responsibility of every teacher. All students receive high-quality literacy teaching across the curriculum, with additional support for those who need it.

Our aim is to develop both the skill and habit of reading.

Our Approach to Reading

Reading at Silverdale has two complementary strands:

Academic Reading – developing the skills students need to understand increasingly complex texts across the curriculum.

Cultural Reading – developing reading for pleasure, curiosity and personal development through a rich range of fiction and non-fiction.

Together, these help students become confident and independent readers.

Universal Literacy Support – For All Students

Our whole-school approach includes:

• READS – supporting students to understand challenging academic texts.
• Vocabulary – explicit teaching of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary, including the Frayer Model.
• Think–Pair–Share – structured talk to develop thinking, vocabulary and understanding.
• A whole-school Literacy Toolkit and ongoing teacher professional development.

At KS3, we also promote reading through Otter Time, Reading Passports, library lessons and Sparx Reader.

Additional Reading Support

Students who need additional support may access:

Lexia PowerUp – personalised practice in word study, vocabulary and comprehension.

Reciprocal Reading – small-group teaching to develop comprehension and independence.

Targeted Reading – timetabled reading support at KS3 and targeted morning sessions at KS4.

Paired Reading – students read with Sixth Form Reading Mentors to develop skills, confidence and engagement.

Intensive and Individual Support

Students with more significant reading needs may receive one-to-one or small-group support, supplementary lessons or targeted work on phonics, decoding, vocabulary, comprehension or EAL.

Where appropriate, students may access Fresh Start (Read Write Inc.) for targeted phonics and decoding support.

The aim is always to help students become increasingly able to access learning independently in their mainstream lessons.

How Do We Identify Students Who Need Support?

We use a combination of:

• Reading assessment data
• SEND information
• Teacher referral
• Professional discussion

Reading age data helps identify students who may need support, but no single assessment determines the provision a student receives. Support is matched to individual need and regularly reviewed as students make progress.

Our Aim

Every student should develop the reading skills, confidence and independence they need to access the curriculum and succeed at Silverdale.