Using Focus Skills to ensure understanding and mastery

Ellis Guilford Comprehensive School, Nottingham

I want to make use of the data more for teachers and I’m hoping, in time, our teachers will have a better grasp of Accelerated Reader and Star Reading. I think the Star Reading programme will be invaluable for our teachers because once you know whether pupils are growing or not, you can now group them and use the instructional planning report to see what individual skills each pupil has mastered and what they are yet to master, still. Therefore, if teachers begin to regularly work with their individual groups more often then they will be able to offer more appropriate intervention, subsequently allowing them to share this vital data with other teachers.

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, EAL, Incentives, Independent Reading, Intervention, Library Use, Motivation, Progress, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Student Engagement, Target Setting

A noticeable new reading culture

Dunstone Primary School, Plymouth

We spoke to Teaching Assistant (TA), Sally Geary, who has been with the school for twelve years. Sally was only recently appointed the primary contact for Accelerated Reader since January 2019. With the help of a team of dedicated TAs, Sally oversees the daily maintenance and effective administration of the Accelerated Reader and Star Reading programmes. The team have one goal, to help nurture a love of reading for all pupils. 

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, Incentives, Intervention, Library Use, Motivation, Parents, Progress, Progress Monitoring, Pupil Progress, Reading Age, Reading At Home, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, SATs, Student Engagement, Target Setting, Whole-School Literacy

Belvedere British School, UAE

Belvedere British School, UAE, United Arab Emirates

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Intervention, Motivation, Professional Development, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Student Engagement

The north east multi-academy trust with a new-look assessment strategy

Wise Academies, North East

We spoke to Natalie Fountain, Executive Head and Regional Hub Leader (Sunderland) who has been in her role at Wise Academies for almost two years about how the trust use Accelerated Reader.

Talking Points: Assessment, Data, Data Review, Independent Reading, Intervention, Motivation, Ofsted, Progress Monitoring, Pupil Progress, Reading At Home, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Workload, Student Engagement

The Trust with the new Reading and Assessment Strategy

Chiltern Learning Trust, Bedfordshire

Seven schools across the Chiltern Learning Trust use Renaissance solutions. We spoke to Nicola Hickton, Associate Assistant Head and Director of Standards for English in the trust, and Klaudia Jablonska, Literacy Lead at Putteridge High School. They shared their experiences and how Accelerated Reader and Star Reading are used both within the school and across the trust as a whole.

Talking Points: Assessment, Data, EAL, Equality, Independent Reading, Intervention, Motivation, Progress, Progress Monitoring, Pupil Progress, Staff Engagement, Student Engagement

Reading ages, pupil wellbeing and exam readiness: setting our pupils up for life

Glenrothes High School, Fife

From improving reading ages, an increased focus on pupils' mental wellbeing, and increased confidence and readiness for exams, Graeme Keir shares the impact that Accelerated Reader has had on his school.

Talking Points: Attainment, Attainment Gap, Book Stock, Data, GCSE Preparation, Library Use, Mental Wellbeing, Motivation, Parents, Reading Age

“With Accelerated Reader, we couldn’t want for more.”

Christ Church Church of England Primary School, Chesterfield

In June 2019, Christ Church CofE Primary School received a ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection report, with specific acknowledgement of the school’s effective reading strategy. The school’s reading progress score has also been consistently increasing since 2017. We spoke to the school’s headteacher, Sue Beckett, about how Accelerated Reader played its part.

Talking Points: Assessment, Data, Equality, Independent Reading, Motivation, Parents, Reading for Pleasure

“We can make a real difference to their learning.”

Glyn School, Ewell

Glyn School a boys' comprehensive secondary school in Ewell, Surrey, have been using Accelerated Reader for just over a year, and implemented the programme in the summer of 2018 to boost literacy levels across Key Stage 3. We spoke to Caroline Woolridge, the school librarian, and Jade Phillips, the KS3 coordinator, about how the programme has influenced both students and teachers at the school.

Talking Points: Assessment, Behaviour, Boys, Data, GCSE Preparation, Intervention, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, SATs, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Value For Money

The complete literacy solution: a Q&A with primary headteacher Richard Slade

Plumcroft Primary School, Greenwich

We spoke to Richard Slade, a Greenwich-based primary headteacher, about the complete literacy solution he's implemented at his school.

Talking Points: Assessment, Assessment without Levels, Comprehension, Curriculum Access, Data, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture

“Children are talking about the books they love.”

St Joseph’s Primary School, Greenock, Scotland

St Joseph’s Primary School in Greenock, Inverclyde, is a small school with about 150 pupils on roll. Mark Deegan is the school’s Depute Headteacher, and we spoke to him about the difference he’s seen at St Joseph’s since Accelerated Reader was introduced.

Talking Points: Celebration, Comprehension, Data, Library Use, Motivation, Progress, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure