At Lift Aylward, literacy is at the heart of what we do as we know it is the key to empowering individuals and unlocking their critical thinking, creativity and communication, as well as improving students'self-esteem and motivations.
It is the key to enabling our students’ to have happy and successful lives, that leave positive legacies.This is why we instil a love of reading, writing and oracy, in all Lift Aylward students.
Ofsted 2025 said:
“The school places a clear emphasis on developing pupils' essential skills, such as reading. skills developed through a well-structured phonics programme.
“Leaders have recently introduced daily lessons and interventions at key stage 3 that focus
on developing and improving pupils’ literacy skills. There are also opportunities to support
pupils who need some basic mathematics help. Similarly, older pupils attend daily 'master
classes’ addressing knowledge gaps across the English Baccalaureate subjects. These
changes are having a positive impact in improving all pupils’ elementary learning and closing
of their knowledge gaps.”
As an academy we:
- Ensure literacy as a central component of our curriculum by encouraging the transfer of literacy skills across the curriculum
- Ensure fluency, progression and mastery in reading and writing
- Enhance our students’ ability to express oneself fluently and grammatically in speech
- Expand students’ vocabulary repertoire and their ability to deconstruct and process new words
To do this we promote and develop the following four main areas we believe are central to lifelong literacy development and securing long, happy and successful lives:
- Oracy
- Reading
- Writing
- Subject-specific vocabulary
Daily Guided Reading
Students in Key Stage 3 start the school day in a 30-minute reading session. We foster a love of reading by selecting a wide range of age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction texts. Students practise reading aloud, are explicitly taught vocabulary and develop comprehension skills. It is an initiative that we are proud of as a school and that both students and teachers enjoy. Examples of the booklets we use in Guided Reading can be found here:
Booklet 1: Aesop's Fables .pdf
Booklet 2: Short story- Lamb to the Slaughter.pdf
Booklet 3: Guided Reading Non Fiction Reading - The Titanic Disaster.pdf
Reading Assessments & Interventions
Knowing our students’ starting points ensures we provide the best and most appropriate reading intervention pathways. We have three reading assessment points for students in the year. The consistent testing means we respond to students’ needs and intervene appropriately in a timely manner.
Students’ results allow us to adjust Guided Reading class lists and support students who may be struggling with reading or have English as an Additional Language. We can offer these students with the following additional intervention pathways:
- Ruth Miskin Literacy Phonics programme
- FlashAcademy
- Read Write Inc Fresh Start
We are proud of the curriculum provision we have on offer and celebrate the impact it has had on our students’ reading outcomes and confidence.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Two of our core values at the Academy are ‘Kindness’ and ‘Excellence’ we are committed to removing as many learning barriers as possible. Students who join us from outside the country are no exception to this.
In addition to the NGRT reading tests that students complete, foreign students also undergo an English proficiency assessment using the digital platform, FlashAcademy. Following this proficiency assessment, the Literacy team can determine what level of support would most benefit the student. Our current offer for EAL students includes:
- Tailored Guided Reading Sessions - EAL students access phonics and vocabulary lessons using FlashAcademy, building independence in speaking and writing with achievable milestones to boost their confidence
- Ruth Miskin Literacy Phonics - Through this systematic phonics programme, EAL students learn to read fluently and develop comprehension, writing and spelling skills in the English language
- Induction sessions - EAL students are taught key vocabulary and concepts for English, Maths and Science curriculums so they can make an easier transition into mainstream lessons
Reading in the Curriculum
We have worked collaboratively with our teachers to prioritise the three key areas to develop reading in the curriculum:
- We expose students to age-appropriate text.
- We develop subject- specific vocabulary
- We use research-based strategies to support students’ reading comprehension skills.
Our academic curriculum aims to challenge our students to foster independence and a love for reading and we achieve this through:
- Weekly reading lesson in the English Curriculum dedicated to reading age-specific intervention through the Sparx Reader digital platform at Key Stage 3. Students access this intervention using their personal Chromebooks, which are issued to them upon joining the Academy
- At Key Stage 4, students access Century Tech to support with their English Literature and English Language study. Following a diagnostic assessment, the platform provides bespoke learning pathways to support students in closing gaps
Celebrating and Rewarding Readers
By recognising progress, we help students see themselves as successful, motivated readers. The digital reading platforms we use make this even more powerful by offering interactive features, personalised goals and real-time feedback that helps keep our young readers engaged. When students feel their effort is valued, they are more likely to read regularly, challenge themselves and develop a lifelong love of reading.
At the Academy, we proudly celebrate every step of our students’ reading journeys through:
- Public praise and shoutouts at lineups and are recognised weekly by their peers and teachers
- Praise postcards are sent home so students can celebrate their reading achievements with their families at home
- Half-termly celebration assemblies where students receive certificates and badges for their reading engagement and progress
- Spontaneous recognition events where students go on enrichment trips or workshops
