Clear, Identifiable Objectives with Star Maths

Fulbridge Academy, Cambridgeshire

Fulbridge Academy has been using Star Maths since 2019 to support the school's maths development strategy. In December 2021, the school carried out the second-most Star Maths assessments in the UK & Ireland with an astounding 3,847 assessments carried out since September 2020.

Talking Points: Assessment, Comprehension, Data, Data Review, Incentives, Intervention, Motivation, Personalised Practice, Progress, Progress Monitoring, Pupil Premium, Pupil Progress, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Student Engagement, Target Setting

Ofsted approved reading strategy at Lea Forest Primary Academy

Lea Forest Primary Academy, Birmingham

Lea Forest Primary Academy has been using Accelerated Reader and Star Reading since 2015 to provide a consistent approach to reading and develop a love for reading for all pupils throughout the school. In November 2021, the school received a 'Good' Ofsted inspection report with specific recognition for the school's reading development strategy.

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, Incentives, Intervention, Library Use, Motivation, Ofsted, Progress Monitoring, Pupil Premium, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Student Engagement, Whole-School Literacy

A New Strategy To Get Students’ Reading Back On Track

The Long Eaton School, Derbyshire

The Long Eaton School have been successfully utilising Accelerated Reader and Star Reading since 2013. In August 2020, new Qualified Teacher Librarian Althea Briers joined the school when engaging students with reading for pleasure and developing reading proficiency was more crucial than ever.
Due to school part-closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Althea and her colleagues had the challenging task of refamilalrising and reintegrating students with a library system that makes reading accessible and part of students daily lives once again. 

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, Incentives, Independent Reading, Intervention, Library Use, Motivation, Ofsted, Parents, Progress Monitoring, Pupil Progress, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Student Engagement, Whole-School Literacy

Reading attainment that’s never been better at St Botolphs CE Academy

St Botolphs CE Academy, Wakefield

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

The Complete Literacy Solution across Hales Valley Trust

Hales Valley Trust, Dudley

Hales Valley Trust, situated in Dudley, has produced unprecedented product usage statistics throughout one of the most challenging years in education due to school part-closures due to COVID-19. We contacted the Director of School Improvement for the Trust, Rebecca Cox, who explains how the Trust has ensured consistent and strong reading practice across all schools both in and out of school.

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, Incentives, Independent Reading, Intervention, Library Use, Motivation, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Student Engagement, Whole-School Literacy

A complete change in attitude towards reading with the results to show for it!

St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic School, Birmingham

In 2013 St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic School, part of the Lumen Christi Multi-Academy Trust, invested in Accelerated Reader (AR) and Star Reading (SR) to promote a love and motivation for reading amongst their students.

Since then, the school have gone on to see a year-on-year improvement in their Progress 8 score. Most notably, the Progress 8 score for their disadvantaged pupils has increased substantially over the last two years. In 2019, according to the DfE's latest published data, the school performed within the top 29% of all secondary schools in Birmingham based on Progress 8 Score.

Talking Points: Assessment, Data Review, Library Use, Motivation, Ofsted, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Student Engagement, Whole-School Literacy

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.

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, EAL, Intervention, Motivation, Ofsted, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Engagement, Student Engagement, Whole-School Literacy

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

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