EAL Success Stories
The Complete Literacy Solution at Finham Park Multi-Academy Trust
FInham Park Multi Academy Trust, Coventry
In 2017, Finham Park School, Finham Park 2 and Lyng Hall School all invested in Accelerated Reader and Star Reading to improve literacy levels and develop a sustainable reading culture. In July 2020, they also invested in myON by Renaissance, the online digital library, to tackle a further loss to reading development to support the blended learning throughout the 20/21 academic year. This is their story.
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.
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.
Using Accelerated Reader across our whole trust
St Martin's Multi-Academy Trust, Bilston
St Martin’s Multi Academy Trust is a three-school trust in Bilston, West Midlands. Its academies are all located in areas of high deprivation. Read the story from Christine Ivory, Assistant Headteacher at Grove Primary School, and Ben Davies, Executive Headteacher, about why they chose Accelerated Reader and Star Reading to support reading across the trust.
Helping to provide and nurture a lifelong core skill
Northampton International Academy, Northampton
Northampton International Academy first opened its doors in September 2016 and currently its Year 7 and 8 pupils use Accelerated Reader. In July 2019, Northampton International Academy had its first Ofsted inspection and was graded ‘Good’, with specific praise given to their strong reading culture. Tracey Frohawk, the Learning Resource Centre Manager at the school, has been instrumental in the integration of AR.
Engaging reluctant readers with myON
Nishkam High School, Birmingham
Nishkam High School in Birmingham, an avid Accelerated Reader user, was one of the first schools in the UK to use myON with its students! Here, Sharan Kaur, the school’s librarian, discusses how she’s found it so far.
“It has worked for us.”
Milton Hall Primary School, Westcliff-on-Sea
The Head of Literacy at Milton Hall Primary School shares the school's secrets to fast, effective reading improvement.
How Star helped us become a full primary school
Southtown Primary School, Great Yarmouth
Southtown Primary School in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, has around 220 pupils from Reception through to Year 6. Solely an infant school in previous years, they got their first intake of KS2 students in 2014. Here, Susan Miles, Deputy Headteacher, shares how the school uses Renaissance Star Assessments™ and how it helped them transition into a full primary school.
How we raised literacy levels in our Year 7 and 8 students
by Nadia Ward and Debbie Kennedy, Wilmington Academy, Dartford
Wilmington Academy is a mixed, non-selective secondary academy and part of the Leigh Academies Trust, with a much higher ratio of boys to girls (65% vs. 35%). Nadia Ward (Assistant Principal & Director of Literacy) and Debbie Kennedy (Academy Librarian) share their story on how they raised literacy levels in their school.
“A natural way to improve English”
Elan English Learning Centres, China
Students from Elan English Learning Centres in China are enjoying the professional learning program from the school, boosted by Renaissance. Having implemented Accelerated Reader in 2013, they have found improved literacy standards, with the wider benefits this entails on vocabulary, grammar etc.