Reading Intervention Strategy:
Tier 1
1. All teachers prioritise disciplinary literacy across their curriculum.
2. All teachers provide targeted vocabulary instruction in every subject to help students access and use academic language (inclusive of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary).
3. All teachers support the development of students' ability to read academic texts, encouraging students to engage in responsive reading across every subject area.
Tier 2
At Altrincham College we know that high quality teaching across the curriculum will reduce the need for extra literacy support in the long term. Nevertheless, we are aware that a small number of our students will require additional support. We are committed to providing intervention in the form of high quality, structured, targeted interventions which will allow students to make swift progress.
Leaders recognised the need to invest in training for staff who teach reading. In 2020 we implemented the Ruth Miskin curriculum to support struggling readers.
Accurately identifying gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge.
All new pupils are screened using diagnostic tests to determine which aspects of reading pupils are struggling with and provide the appropriate intervention.
These tests include assessment of fluency rates, word reading accuracy and efficiency, and phonic knowledge, speed, and comprehension. This analytical approach means that leaders can design additional teaching and intervention programmes to meet pupils’ specific reading needs. Diagnostic testing allows us to target students for interventions depending on need, so we know precisely what to teach.
Program of intervention:
Ruth Miskin: Fresh Start programme - Read Write Inc. Fresh Start is a proven phonics intervention for pupils aged 9 to 13+ who have slipped through the reading net.
We ensure that staff who teach reading have the expertise they need to teach weaker readers.
Since 2020 Leaders have made sure that staff who teach specific aspects of reading, or reading programmes, have had relevant training and this is refreshed annually. Leaders incorporate the support of the Learning Resource Centre manager and members of the SEND team who have been specifically trained to deliver the programme.
How do we Monitor rigour and impact?
Initial assessments to identify appropriate students, guide areas for focus, and track student progress – The outcome of assessments will inform the groups and length of planned interventions.
- Regular sessions that are maintained over a sustained period and carefully timetabled to enable consistent delivery, provide:
Structured supporting resources and carefully planned lessons.
Tuition that is additional to, and explicitly linked with, normal lessons.
Regular assessment will ensure that staff are aware of pupils' progress and can implement adjustments when pupils do not meet expected improvement rates. Students will be reintegrated back in to lessons as quickly as is appropriate.
Parents of students who we think will benefit from support will be informed about proposed interventions in advance.
Tier 3
The Literacy Team and SEND Department may identify students who require further support with reading depending on specific areas of need. The SEND team will provide bespoke, further bespoke interventions.
Students may read extracts from a range of texts (fiction, non-fiction/play/poetry) to develop reading fluency; alternatively, they may be working on word reading and language comprehension. Where necessary, work on code knowledge is also carried out.