Comprehension Success Stories
A rejuvenated reading culture leading to Ofsted recognised impact
Davison CE High School for Girls, West Sussex
Davison CE High School for Girls have been using the complete literacy solution from Renaissance Learning UK since 2013. In the 2019/20 academic year, Laylah Moore became the schools permanent LRC manager. Laylah brought with her an aspiration and goal to enhance the school's reading culture and ensure more students are reading for pleasure and academic opportunity in her new role. Since 2013 Davison CE High School for Girls has seen a steady rise in progress 8 scores for mainstream and disadvantaged pupils. Laylah wants to ensure that these high standards are maintained across the school and that all students can access cross-curricular resources confidently by acquiring proficiency in reading.
On the road to recovery
Christ the Redeemer Primary School, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Christ the Redeemer School have been using Renaissance solutions for over a decade. In the midst of a global pandemic with schools across Northern Ireland being forced to partially close their doors to pupils, the school continue to maintain high levels of reading engagement and staff have managed to avoid seeing too big of a drop in learning based on recent assessment data. The school even faced an inspection at the halfway point of the pandemic and were still able to produce an accurate and detailed analysis of their pupils' progress and subsequent teaching strategies to support those who had dropped off in both reading and mathematics.
Unlocking the value of Star Assessments
River Beach Primary School, Littlehampton
River Beach Primary School is part of Schoolsworks Academy Trust and is located in Littlehampton, West Sussex. It has one of the largest percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals in the local authority. We spoke to Joe Neale, who was the English lead during the implementation of Accelerated Reader in 2015 and has since gone on to become an assistant headteacher and the lead for English and AR at the school, about the success they've had with Renaissance!
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.
“Ahead of expectations or well above them” – what Accelerated Reader did for Charlotte House
Charlotte House Preparatory School, Rickmansworth
Charlotte House Prep School is an independent all-girls’ Nursery and Prep School in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, for girls aged 3-11. They’ve been using Accelerated Reader since 2018. Here, Caroline Guise, the school’s Head of English and SENCo, tells us the difference it’s made to their school.
“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.
“When Accelerated Reader is used well, I guarantee you will be elated with the results.”
Bo'ness Academy, Falkirk, Scotland
Bo’ness Academy is a secondary school based in Falkirk, Scotland. In the 2018/19 academic year students at the school read 2,661 books on Accelerated Reader, and undertook 1,171 Star Reading assessments. Impressive stats for a school with only 669 pupils! Hear from Sam Phillips, Principal Teacher of Literacy at Bo’ness Academy, about what Accelerated Reader has done for them.
Accelerated Reader is “firmly at the core of our reading culture”
Cromer Junior School, Cromer, Norfolk
Cromer Junior School in Cromer, Norfolk, has around 300 pupils age between 7 and 11. They started using Accelerated Reader in 2014! Here, Suzanne Ashpole, the school’s Deputy Headteacher, shares their story from implementing the programme in 2014 until today.
“I’ve seen the change in my pupils and in my own children.”
Keresley Grange Academy, Coventry
As a headteacher and a parent, Nicky Penlington couldn't be happier with the changes she has seen across her school, including in her own children, since they started using Accelerated Reader in 2015.
The first Accelerated Reader school in Ireland
Scoil Chríost Rí, Ennis, County Clare
Scoil Chríost Rí is one of over 60 schools in County Clare using Accelerated Reader, but was one of the first in Ireland to implement the programme, in 2011. Principal Gearóid Roughan describes the school’s reading approach and experiences with the programme.