Melbourn Village College is a ‘Reading School’. It had been widely researched and proven that reading for pleasure allows young people to not only develop their imaginations and vocabulary but also allows them to have improved mental health due to them being able to relax and escape to other worlds. There are reading lists on the website to help you select books to give some ideas of where to start.
We have two “Reading Weeks” a year during which every subject in school is focused upon reading and where visiting speakers come in to discuss the importance of reading and what it did for their life! During these weeks we also have a pop-up bookshop and around the school that focus on reading for pleasure.
Staff are always willing to discuss their own reading habits and this is advertised for all students on the staff ‘I am Reading’ posters.
Al Melbourn Village College we are determined to ensure that all students have the best possible life chances and choices available to them on leaving the school. In order to do this they need the best possible grades. Reading age and the ability to successfully decode texts and understand meaning and nuance is one of the single biggest indicators of success. It also can have a positive impact on behaviour for learning with students being better able to access the work and learning and therefore less likely to misbehave due to a lack of engagement or understanding. One way Melbourn Village College teaches this is through our form time literacy programme which focuses on affixes to words and their etymology.
Put simply, reading age impacts on:
Melbourn Village College has partnered with St. Peter’s School in Huntingdon to deliver the Lexonik programme. Lexonik is a system which allows students who have reading ages that are below their age-appropriate average to catch up with their peers. It does this by:
In short, ‘Lexonik's methodology insists upon active learning and focuses on developing the students' phonological skill so that they can use phonics effectively and read unfamiliar words, at the same time realising the immense importance of building vocabulary knowledge.’
A number of staff have been specifically trained by the Lexonik team to deliver the sessions to students. Students will be taken out of lessons in order to take advantage of these sessions. Due to the importance of reading ages in terms of students being able to access the whole curriculum there will be no particular subject from which students are taken; however the aim will be for this to be done as equitably as possible over the period of time that each student is taking part in the sessions.
If your child has been selected to join in some of the Lexonik reading sessions, you will be contacted in advance. During the programme please talk to your child about what they are learning – our first round of students through the programme made amazing gains in their literacy and in their confidence around reading.
In addition, our SEND department and our Alternative Provision department are making use of IDL Literacy which enables students to make improvements to their own literacy through a structured programme accessed online.
Staff use a common language when discussing vocabulary in their teaching.
We use the phrase ‘tier 1’ when describing words that are in everyday use e.g. table, road, child; ‘tier 2’ when discussing more advanced vocabulary e.g. evaluate, contradiction, phenomenon; and ‘tier 3’ when using subject-specific vocabulary e.g. oxidation, hypotenuse, pathetic fallacy.
We also try to incorporate etymology of key terms in our teaching so that students learn to break down the sections of words and build up their meaning.
But literacy is not only abut reading and writing – we want our students to be excellent orators too – we focus on our students being able to fully express their thoughts in spoken language that is correct, expressive and expansive as well as being linguistically accurate. When we meet people for the first time, our oracy skills are one of the factors on which a first impression is made – it is our aim for all of our students to be able to speak well and make excellent first impressions. One of the things we encourage is the use of full phrases and sentences – for example if a question is posed in an English lesson – who killed Macbeth? The answer “Macduff” is corrected to “Macduff killed Macbeth. He was able to do this because he ‘was not of woman born’”. We also insist on referring to staff correctly and fully, using their title and surname. Parents can help their children’s oracy develop by similarly insisting on the use of full sentences at home.
‘Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world’
(National Literacy Trust - 2019)
Melbourn Village College area of development linked to School Improvement Plan: To improve the reading and literacy of all students. Senior Leadership Team accountable: Mr Luxton
The literacy strategy at Melbourn Village College aims to take the basic functionality of reading, writing and speaking and listening further. It aims to engender a love of reading and develop reading, writing and oracy skills so that they can be practically applied to formal and diagnostic assessment; with the aim of improving exam outcomes alongside ensuring all students can communicate their ideas effectively to the world. The aim of Melbourn Village College is to ensure that all students reach or exceed their chronological reading age by the end of Year 10.
The literacy strategy will aim to foster a love of reading and target students who have historically found the development of their literacy and oracy skills challenging. It will develop teachers’ ability to discreetly teach and advance literacy skills, inside and outside the classroom, as well as create a culture of reading, writing and speech within the school.
The literacy strategy aims to ensure the improvement in reading, writing and oracy skills for all students, most notably by ensuring that students reach or exceed their chronological reading age by the end of Year 10.
Within this, we also aim to have a positive impact on key sub-groups in the school. These include:
Strategy 1: To develop a culture of reading in the school |
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Action |
Lead |
Planning and Quality Assurance |
Milestone 1 |
Milestone 2 |
Milestone 3 |
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Form time reading sessions |
Mr Luxton Mr Willder Mr Belgrave Heads of Years |
Through learning walks, form time observations and book looks to check on progress and effectiveness of form time sessions. Staff training in order to feel confident in delivering reading sessions. Resources sent out each week. |
December Book look and walk through for each year group completed. HOYs emailed regarding findings Assess form tutor reflections through MS Forms |
April Expectation to see all form time exercise books having been used at least 10 separate occasions Assess form tutor and student reflections through MS Forms |
July Assess student enjoyment and engagement through student voice and teacher forum Retest Year 7, 8 and 9 for reading ages to monitor improvement and impact. |
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Tutor programme which teaches skills around tier 2 and 3 vocabulary, morphology, etymology and syntax (Years 7 – 9 + 10) |
Mr Luxton Mr Willder Mr Belgrave Heads of Years |
Resources planned and created – sent out each week. Learning walks, form time observations and book looks to check on progress and effectiveness of form time sessions. |
December Book look and walk through for each year group completed. HOYs emailed regarding findings Assess form tutor reflections through MS Forms |
April Expectation to see all form time exercise books having been used at least 10 separate occasions Assess form tutor and student reflections through MS Forms |
July Assess student enjoyment and engagement through student voice and teacher forum Retest Year 7, 8 and 9 for reading ages to monitor improvement and impact. |
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To run two reading weeks a year – one in December (after Year 11 mock examinations) and one in Summer (in July) |
Mr Luxton |
Planning and developing activities for the week. HODs encouraged to think of lessons concerned with reading for the week. Guest speakers, authors, performers and pop up book shop invited in. Prizes and rewards offered for most engaged students |
December Reading Week 1 Clear links to PSHE and CIEAG and work on safer corridors as per school improvement plan. Teacher evaluation and student voice to evaluate effectiveness |
April Run analysis on December reading week. Consider improvements and changes to be made for July event. Teacher and student working group established to enhance provision in reading weeks |
July Reading week 2 Clear focus on reading for pleasure and building reading power. Teacher evaluation and student voice to evaluate effectiveness |
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To make links with local sports teams for ‘match writing’ projects and programmes |
Mr Luxton |
Liaising with clubs and teams to be able to offer experience of working with sports teams and clubs to write match reports and interview players and coaching staff. Focus on PP students. |
December Have organised first cohort for CUFC project (update – CUFC pulled for 2023-24 on 27.11.23) – Mr Luxton to investigate Stevenage Football Club as alternative.
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April All students engaged in project (for all 3 cohorts – due to interest) to have had ‘training’ on interviewing and match reporting and to have gone to match, reported and have had their report written in local media outlets. |
July Student and parent voice to evaluate effectiveness of project.
Planning to begin for 2024-25. |
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To make better contact home regarding reading and to encourage a wider group of readers to participate in reading and literacy-based clubs and awards |
Mr Luxton |
More extra curricular activities and clubs planned that incorporate literacy and oracy based opportunities. Carnegie shadowing to be run in conjunction with other schools in the trust. Contact home to be made to parents regarding positive power of reading with a ‘literacy bulletin’ every term. |
December Extra curricular clubs to be set up (oracy, sports journalism and reading). |
April Literacy bulletin to have been sent home for Term 2. Carnegie shadowing to have begun.
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July Students and parent voice to evaluate effectiveness. |
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To publicly promote the ‘power’ of books |
Mr Luxton |
Reopening of library Wide use of ‘I am Reading’ sheets for teachers to fill in and place in visible places in classrooms. |
December All staff to have posters up in classroom. |
April All staff to have at least second book and to have had a conversation with at least 10 students about their reading. Library to be ‘under construction’ |
July Library to be fully used. Student and teacher voice on whether these are noticeable and bring about conversation. |
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To develop teachers’ understanding around methods used to improve students’ reading |
Mr Luxton Mr Willder Teaching and Learning team |
Literacy briefings Learning walks Ensure that teachers know reading ages and residual ages for all students in their classes |
December HODs to have received ‘Lexonik Vocabulary’ training. Staff to have received training on tier 2 and 3 vocabulary, etymology, morphology and syntax. Teachers to receive laminated sheets regarding effective teaching of literacy. Reinforcement of reading age message. Current picture ascertained by teaching and learning team feedback. |
April All teachers to have received ‘Lexonik Vocabulary’ training and this to be in evidence in learning walks and book looks – including refresher training on etmology, morphology and syntax.
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July Student and teacher voice to evaluate effectiveness. Reinforcement of reading age message. Teaching and learning team to provide feedback on usage of strategies – aim for usage and good practice to have improved by over 50% from start of year. All classrooms to have laminated mats with key tier 2 and 3 vocabulary (tier 3 = bespoke) after discussion with HODs. Reinforcement of reading age message. Monitored through feedback from teaching and learning team – aim to have improved use of mats and vocabulary teaching by over 25%. |
Strategy 2: To develop the oracy skills of students |
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Action |
Lead |
Planning and Quality Assurance |
Milestone 1 |
Milestone 2 |
Milestone 3 |
|
To ensure that students are speaking in full sentences in classrooms and teachers are proactively developing the oracy skills of students |
Mr Luxton Mr Willder Teaching and Learning Team Heads of Departments |
Training given to teachers on how to enhance oracy opportunities in lessons and giving students the opportunity to extend answers in speech. PP students asked at least one question per lesson. |
December Learning walk feedback (whole school) to show current position of students speaking in full sentences – already on learning walk feedback form.
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April Learning walk feedback (whole school) to show appreciable increase in opportunities for students to speak in full sentences in lessons. |
July Student and teacher voice to evaluate effectiveness of strategy. |
Strategy 3: To provide bespoke intervention for students whose reading age is below chronological age |
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Action |
Lead |
Planning and Quality Assurance |
Milestone 1 |
Milestone 2 |
Milestone 3 |
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To implement the use of the Lexonik programme for students who standardised reading age score is between 85 – 115. All Lexonik interventions to be recorded as ‘provisions’ on Edukey. |
Mr Luxton Mrs Hallam Mrs Shakespeare |
Training delivered for staff that will be delivering programme. Paired work with another school from the trust to support successful implementation of programme. First cohort – Year 11 – 6 groups of 4 Second cohort – Year 8 – 6 groups of 4 Third cohort – Year 7 – 6 groups of 4 Fourth cohort – Year 10 – 6 groups of 4 Fifth cohort – Year 9 – 6 groups of 4 Aim to provide intervention for over 100 students whose standardised reading age score is below 100- (from NGRT reading tests). Lexonik to provide learning walks and support to quality assure processes. |
December First Year 11 cohort to have gone through programme. WRAT scores recorded before and after to monitor progress and effectiveness of strategy. Student voice to evaluate effectiveness alongside grades from formal assessments.
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April Year 8 and Year 7 cohorts to have had intervention from programme. WRAT scores recorded before and after to monitor progress and effectiveness of strategy. Student voice to evaluate effectiveness. |
July Year 10 and Year 9 cohorts to have had intervention from programme. WRAT scores recorded before and after to monitor progress and effectiveness of strategy. Student voice to evaluate effectiveness. |
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To improve parental engagement and assist with parental reading |
Mr Luxton |
Invite parents in for reading sessions and to watch Lexonik sessions. Emails and communication home regarding successful reading strategies to try. |
February All parents to have been sent reading strategies email and possibly to have been invited in to school for a ’Reading Evening’. |
April Relevant parties to be contacted and invited in to see a Lexonik session |
July Stakeholder voice to ascertain what the school could do differently to help with reading at home. |
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To ensure regular meeting of key professionals to discuss interventions and renew plans and actions as required to meet the needs of students |
Mr Luxton Teaching and Learning Team Mr Willder Ms Smith |
Checking that reading age data is being used by staff to plan effectively differentiated lessons. Make sure that data is noted on seating plans. Ensure that key staff know how to check this and act upon it. |
December All key staff to have met with Mr Luxton to discuss progress. Messages sent to teaching staff regarding reading ages. |
April Priorities and strategies in this document to be reassessed |
July End of Year document to be produced. |
Melbourn Village College
The Moor, Melbourn
Royston SG8 6EF
Tel: 01763 223400
Email: office@melbournvc.org Absence: absence@melbournvc.org
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Melbourn Village College is an academy of The Cam Academy Trust, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales with company number 0749 1945.
The registered office is at Comberton Village College, West Street, Comberton, Cambridgeshire, CB23 7DU
