"Our vision is to foster a vibrant reading culture at Altrincham College, where every student develops a lifelong love for reading, enhancing their academic success and personal growth."
‘Reading is the one ability that, once set in motion, has the capacity to feed itself, to grow exponentially, providing a base from which the possibilities are infinite.’ Michael Morpurgo.
At Altrincham College, we prioritise reading because we firmly believe that students who read, succeed.
Research tells us that reading is the single most important thing we can support students with both in and out of school. Students who are fluent readers and read for pleasure:
- are more likely to have a higher reading age (Clark 2014. Twist 2007. PIRLS, 2006; PISA, 2009)
- will make significantly more progress in vocabulary, spelling, and maths (Sullivan and Brown 2013)
- will get higher GCSE grades (Clark 2011; Clark and Douglas 2011. OECD, 2002)
- increase their general knowledge (Clark and Rumbold, 2006)
- increase empathy, improve relationships with others, reduce the symptoms of depression and have improved wellbeing throughout life (The Reading Agency 2015. Clark and Rumbold, 2006)
- increase their understanding of their own identity and gain greater insight into the world view of others (The Reading Agency 2015)
In their research, the National Literacy Trust highlights the worrying consequences that low literacy skills can have on society:
“People with poor literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed, have low incomes and poor health behaviours, which in turn can be linked to lower life expectancy.”
At Altrincham College, we passionately believe that achievement is for all. We do not want any of the young people in our care to be negatively affected by low levels of literacy. We are passionate about nurturing an environment where all students are resulting able to achieve and excel both emotionally and academically. Therefore, our literacy curriculum has been carefully crafted to empower our students to thrive as they continue their journey at Altrincham College and beyond.
Research clearly demonstrates that wider learning is achieved through reading, disciplinary literacy, and explicit vocabulary teaching and, for this reason, literacy is at the heart of our curriculum. Accurate and ambitious written and spoken expressions, combined with precise SPaG (spelling, punctuation, and grammar) and a wide and varied vocabulary are integral to allowing all our students to explore, activate and develop their talents. Oracy and written opportunities within the curriculum ensure students develop effective communication skills whilst respecting other perspectives and the dignity of every member of our community.
Please refer to the following tabs for more information on the varying ways in which we champion reading and literacy at Altrincham College.