It is a truth universally acknowledged, that skilled reading, writing and talking, is crucial for our students to succeed in school. And yet, too many secondary school teachers and leaders prove undertrained and simply too busy to support their students to best access the demands of the academic curriculum.
What every teacher needs to know is how academic reading mediates the sophisticated language of each subject in secondary school, and what they can do about it. This analysis by GL Assessment of their New Group Reading Test data, featuring over 370,000 secondary school pupils in the UK, found a significant correlation between students’ reading ability and their eventual performance across all GCSEs. The match was just as strong with maths and science as it proved in the arts and apparently literacy-rich subjects, like English and history.
Reading then proves the master skill of secondary school. The increased reading demand in the latest batch of GCSEs is widely known, but what is a school to do when 24% of your students enter Year 7 with a reading age of only 5? Such demands, faced by the students and teachers of Blackpool, saw the KS3 Literacy Project developed to support school leaders and teachers in their vital efforts. Investing in the hard-working teachers and leaders of Blackpool to enhance every facet of literacy was simply a priority.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that skilled reading, writing and talk, is crucial for our students to succeed in school.
Reading proves the master skill of secondary school.
In secondary schools, literacy was too often seen as a bolt-on extra for teachers of science, geography and PE. Yet, when you dig into the research evidence, it is revealed that being literate is the most essential factor for disadvantaged students studying science1. Reading, writing, vocabulary and talking all mediate the school curriculum. Every teacher can then gain from targeted, evidence-informed training. By investing in literacy training, alongside leadership training on implementation (based on the EEF ‘Putting Evidence to Work: A School’s Guide to Implementation’), each school had important additional supports to tackle the issue.
There are no easy wins nor Hollywood endings when working in schools facing challenging circumstances. And yet, with sustained support and collaboration, there are positive signs about what can be achieved for the students of Blackpool.
Schools are continuing to keep the main thing the main thing. Literacy is high on the agenda and is proving a priority, with training and support being sustained in schools. It is not just the green shoots of reading assessments that make this work meaningful – it is a project that focuses hard on students succeeding in school and gaining knowledge and skills that will prove long-lasting far beyond the school gates and the challenge of GCSE examinations.
It has been a sincere pleasure to work with so many committed and talented school leaders and teachers to close the gap for the students of Blackpool.
Footnotes
- T. Nunez et al. (2017) Review of SES and Science Learning in Formal Education Settings: A Report Prepared for the EEF and the Royal Society. Education Endowment Foundation: London.
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Find out more about our reading assessments
Ongoing assessment of your students’ reading allows you to identify any gaps they may have - and our New Group Reading Test® (NGRT) is an ideal starting point. NGRT is a standardised, termly assessment that reliably measures reading skills against the national average, and it can be used alongside other assessments to pinpoint where support is needed and demonstrate the impact of your interventions.
Find out how we can support you
We offer a broad range of training and support options, to help you get the most out of your assessments and build a complete picture of your students’ strengths and needs. We also have a dedicated Assessment Insights team to assist you in making the best use of your assessments. Natasha, our Secondary expert, is on hand to answer any questions from talking through what your data is showing you to which reports are most useful for your school’s needs.
Find out more about our reading assessments
Early identification of any issues relating to your pupils’ reading is vital, allowing you to put in place any interventions required immediately. Our New Group Reading Test® (NGRT) is an ideal starting point - it’s a standardised, termly assessment that reliably measures reading skills against the national average, and it can be used alongside other assessments to support targeted intervention.
Find out how we can support you
We offer a broad range of training and support options, to help you get the most out of your assessments and build a complete picture of your students’ strengths and needs. We also have a dedicated Assessment Insights team to assist you in making the best use of your assessments. Ann, our Primary expert, is on hand to answer any questions from talking through what your data is showing you to which reports are most useful for your school’s needs.
Find out more about our reading assessments
We support a number of MATs with Trust-wide reading initiatives, often using our New Group Reading Test® (NGRT) as a starting point. NGRT is a standardised, termly assessment that reliably measures reading skills against the national average, and it can be used alongside a range of our other assessments to both support targeted interventions and demonstrate the impact your Trust is making.
Find out how we can support you
We offer a broad range of training and support options, to help you get the most out of your assessments and build a complete picture of your students’ strengths and needs. We also have a dedicated Assessment Insights team to assist you in making the best use of your assessments. James, our MAT expert, is on hand to answer any questions from talking through what your data is showing you to which reports are most useful for your school’s needs.
Find out more about our reading assessments
Ongoing assessment allows you to ensure that all the pupils in your care are making progress as well as identifying those who are at risk of falling behind. When it comes to reading, our New Group Reading Test® (NGRT) is an ideal starting point. It is a standardised, termly assessment that reliably measures reading skills against the national average and it is also adaptive, offering a personalised experience for each pupil so it’s accessible for those who are struggling and challenges those who need to be stretched.
Find out how we can support you
We offer a broad range of training and support options, to help you get the most out of your assessments and build a complete picture of your students’ strengths and needs. We also have a dedicated Assessment Insights team to assist you in making the best use of your assessments. Andy, our Independent expert, is on hand to answer any questions from talking through what your data is showing you to which reports are most useful for your school’s needs.