Reading 

OUR COMMITMENT

At Endeavour, we know that reading is a key life skill—essential not only for accessing learning but for building independence and confidence in the wider world. We aim to equip all pupils with the reading skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Assessment & Targeted Support

• Initial and Ongoing Assessment
  All pupils’ reading and spelling is assessed on entry. These benchmarks provide a clear starting point and help identify the most appropriate support and interventions.
  
  
• Tracking and Intervention
  Interventions are selected based on pupil need and are tracked through our whole-school Assess–Plan–Do–Review cycle. This ensures every pupil receiving reading support is closely monitored and that interventions are responsive and purposeful.

Reading Opportunities Across the School

• Reading in Daily Life
  We embed reading across the school day. Pupils regularly read during tutor time (e.g., reading the news, weekly quizzes) and engage with text through subject-specific content in all lessons. We encourage real-life reading experiences—such as interpreting signs, recipes, emails, or instructions—as part of developing functional literacy.
  
  
• Intervention and Support
  Where needed, pupils access small-group or 1:1 reading support focused on phonics, fluency, comprehension, or functional skills. These sessions are delivered by trained staff and regularly reviewed.

Intervention and Support

• Reading Fluency
  Where needed, pupils access small-group or 1:1 reading support focused on early reading skills, including phonics and fluency. These sessions are delivered by trained staff and reviewed regularly to ensure impact.

• Precision Teach
  Some pupils benefit from Precision Teach, a highly structured intervention used to support both reading and spelling. It focuses on rapid overlearning of targeted words or sounds through short, frequent practice sessions that are tightly monitored for progress.

• Comprehension and Functional Skills
  We offer interventions that build pupils’ ability to understand, interpret, and apply what they read. For some pupils, this might involve structured comprehension sessions, while for others it may mean developing functional literacy—such as reading timetables or instructions confidently.

Building a Reading Culture

• Library Access
  Pupils have access to a range of reading materials suited to different interests and levels—from graphic novels to non-fiction. We continue to build our library stock in response to pupil preferences.

• Reading Mentors
  To support our younger or less confident readers, we run a Reading Mentor programme in the mornings. In this initiative, older pupils are paired with younger peers to offer regular, supportive reading practice in a calm and encouraging environment. This not only helps develop fluency and confidence but fosters a sense of community and responsibility.
  
  
• Reading Events
  We take part in school-wide reading events such as World Book Day, which celebrate reading in fun and inclusive ways that meet pupils where they are.

Staff Development

• Ongoing Support
  Staff receive guidance and informal training to support pupils with reading across the curriculum. This includes strategies to scaffold texts, support vocabulary development, and build pupil confidence. Training is targeted to staff needs and classroom context. Further specialised training is available for key members of staff such as Speech and Language Support Assistants (SALSAs), English HLTAs, etc.

Monitoring & Accountability

• Progress Monitoring
  Reading interventions are reviewed every half term. This includes reassessing key data points (such as reading age) and evaluating engagement, confidence, and next steps.
  
  
• Team-Based Review
  The reading team meets regularly to discuss intervention caseloads and progress. This shared oversight supports consistent delivery and informed decision-making.

Our Vision

At Endeavour, we recognise that not all pupils will leave school with a love of reading—but we do aim for every young person to leave feeling confident enough to read independently, engage with the world around them, and access future opportunities.

For some, this means being able to tackle exam questions or complete job applications. For others, it may mean confidently reading a bus timetable, following a recipe, or communicating with friends via text or email. We want reading to feel achievable and relevant—something our pupils can trust in as a tool for learning and life.