All Saints is proudly a reading school. We work hard to prioritise and promote the joy of reading and the importance of literacy across all curriculum areas in order for every student to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Every teacher is equipped to provide explicit and implicit vocabulary teaching to best support students when teaching complex texts to address subject specific vocabulary and academic terminology. Regular opportunities for writing are built into the curriculum with regular feedback and Dedicated Reflection and Improvement Time (DIRT) embedded into planning so that literacy skills are consistently addressed as outlined in the whole school marking policy.
Where students have not yet achieved the expected literacy standards at KS3, we have introduced the Lexonik Leap programme to offer a tailored and systematic approach to support the students in meeting their individual literacy needs.
Across our school community we have a proactive team of highly skilled librarians and teaching staff who provide a range of engaging opportunities for students to strengthen their love of reading and communication. These opportunities include competitions, author visits, debate clubs, reading awards, book groups, poetry appreciation societies as well as links to other York school libraries. Our librarians also carry out some of the small group reading interventions at KS3.
‘When we teach students to read with precision, rigour and insight, we are truly handing over the keys to the kingdom. Of all the subjects we teach, reading is the first among equals’
Doug Lemov