In 2016, our attainment and progress in reading was not as it has been historically. It is not realistic to compare previous years' data as pupils were assessed in a new way, and against a new curriculum, and the tests were far harder.
However, in order to support our pupils appropriately, we addressed the issue in school and made many developments including:
Investing in a wide variety of reading material for the library
All classes basing learning on a class text for some weeks each term, for example Class 3 have so far studied 'Wonder', 'Street Child' and 'Varjak Paw'.
All adults in school hearing children read every day
Parent workshops in reading
KS2 Reading Challenge
Staff sharing favourite books with children
Developing an outside reading area
Ensuring that children are discussing their understanding of the text and not simply reading words
Taking part in a whole school Readathon (proceeds to go to support a charity which enables reading with children in hospital)
Individual pupils identified for daily reading at school to boost their reading practice
Attainment in reading 2017
In July 2017 our pupils proved that the work had been successful.
In EYFS 82% of pupils achieved a Good Level of Development, compared to 71% across Derbyshire and 70% nationally.
In the Y1 phonics check 84.6% achieved the expected level. 79.2% across Derbyshire, and 81% nationally. By the end of Y2 100% of pupils reach this target, whilst 77% do so in Derbyshire and 91% nationally.
In Y2 92% of pupils reached the expected standard, and 23% achieved the higher standard.
In Y6 100% achieved the expected standard (70.6% in Derbyshire and 71% nationally), and 82% achieved the higher standard (24.2% Derbyshire and 25% nationally). Our average scaled score for reading was 115 (104 nationally) and progress was 9.4 (national is 0).
We were absolutely delighted that the children had done so well, and that everyone's hard work had achieved such a wonderful result.
ASPIRE
In September 2017, we began work on our ASPIRE programme. This has been developed by our staff from the ERIC work to support pupils in accessing and analysing texts in more detail. The Morley ASPIRE programme enables pupils to respond to key aspects of reading comprehension in order to gain a deeper understanding of the text so that they are reading at greater depth.
Our ASPIRE logos have been created just for our school (thank you, Mrs Foster) and link our school owl to the ASPIRE criteria.
These are: