Reading

Beechen Cliff is proud to be part of the National Year of Reading 2026. 

Our ambitions for reading at Beechen Cliff

• For all students to be competent readers and read at or above the expected standard for their age.
• For all students to enjoy reading for pleasure.  

At Beechen Cliff School, we believe that strong reading skills are essential to success across the curriculum and beyond school. Our ambition is that all students are reading at or above the expected standard for their age by the end of Year 9. This ensures they can confidently access their GCSE courses and examinations, and are well prepared for future learning and employment.

Regular reading builds vocabulary, knowledge and imagination, and helps students make connections across subjects. Above all, we aim to foster a genuine love of reading so that students read widely and for pleasure, developing the cultural capital needed to succeed in life.

The reading age required to access GCSE texts and exam papers is approximately 15 years and 8 months. For this reason, we take a structured, rigorous approach to reading, ensuring students develop fluency, comprehension and confidence.

As a boys’ school in Years 7–11, building a strong reading culture is particularly important. National research shows that boys are less likely to enjoy reading and are more at risk of falling behind in literacy. We therefore place a strong emphasis on engaging our boys in reading and supporting every student to become a confident, capable reader.

Reading across the school

Reading and vocabulary development are the responsibility of all staff. 

Across all subjects:

• Key vocabulary is explicitly taught and displayed in lessons.
• students receive unit vocabulary lists to support understanding.
• Schemes of learning identify opportunities for reading.
• All teachers are teachers of reading.

Each faculty has a Literacy Lead working with the school Literacy Coordinator.

Timetabled reading lessons

In addition to reading across the curriculum, reading is a timetabled part of the curriculum in Years 7–9. Where possible, these lessons take place in the school library.

• Year 7: Two hours per fortnight
• Years 8 and 9: One hour per fortnight

These lessons are carefully structured with two distinct aspects to the lesson. 

Reading for Pleasure. Students are given time to read their own books, which helps build reading habits and stamina. They can also explore the library, with support from their teacher or the librarian. We recognise that ‘text hierarchy’ has no place in reading for pleasure and engagement and motivation is maximised when students have autonomy and choice in what and how they read. In reading lessons, however, improving reading skills is the focus of the lesson and teachers and librarians are on hand to help. Therefore, we encourage students to challenge themselves to read new genres or more complex texts than they may normally choose.

Shared class novel. The class reads a shared class novel together and the teacher uses this as a platform to practice reading skills, such as reading aloud, comprehension and vocabulary work. This shared reading experience develops a reading community and exposes students to a range of different genres and authors.

Students also receive dedicated library skills lessons in their first term of Year 7, learning how to use the library effectively and independently.

Teachers carefully select class reading texts appropriate to each group. We update the collection with new titles each year. Students typically read several complete texts across the year. Current choices include:

Books In Bags

All students are expected to carry a suitable reading book with them each day. The National Year of Reading says modern reading is dynamic, with all forms (print, digital, audio) and genres (stories, images, poems, facts, lyrics) to have equal value to ensure students engage with texts. However, due to the practical implications of using audio and digital texts in a school with a ‘no-phone’ policy, we ask students to have a physical book with them to read.

Reading homework

Reading homework is set and monitored by the class reading teacher.

• Year 7: Two 30-minute reading sessions per week
• Years 8 and 9: One 45-minute reading session per week
• For KS4 students, reading is not set as a specific homework, homework for GCSE level work requires reading complex texts and responding to them.

Reading in tutor time

All students in Years 7–10 take part in two reading sessions per week during tutor time:

• During tutor checks on Monday, students read their own books silently, which helps form reading habits and stamina
• During tutor-reading on Friday, a variety of reading activities are provided by the Literacy Coordinator for tutors to follow. This includes shared reading of texts, using The Day online newspaper to learn about current affairs and reading for pleasure.

Monitoring Reading

Students record what they are reading in their planners and keep a log of books read. Reading contributes towards our Character Award, with Bronze, Silver and Gold recognition for sustained engagement. Please follow the link below for further information on our Character Development Programme: Character Development Award

 Planners are checked weekly by tutors and reading teachers and three times a year by the Literacy Coordinator. Rewards are given for students who read and record regularly, and for those who are regular borrowers of books from the library.

Assessing reading progress

We use Hodder Education’s Access Reading Tests (ART) to assess reading. The test provides a Reading Age Standardised Score (RASS) where 100 is considered the mean average score for a child of the same age. A score of 85-115 is considered ‘age appropriate’. We have high expectations of our students. As such, our ambition is that our students have a RASS of as close to 100 or above as possible.. 

All students are tested every year.  Anyone with a RASS below 100 is monitored closely and tested twice a year. Those with a RASS below 95 are allocated interventions, based on individual need. Allocations are made by the SENDCo and Literacy Coordinator. Where a student fails to make progress in the allocated intervention; a new intervention is offered. 

Students receiving support are retested mid-year to monitor progress. Over recent years, the proportion of students reading at or above their chronological age has increased consistently across year groups. The average RASS for readers at Beechen Cliff in September 2025 was 112.

Reading Age results for the past four years:

Reading intervention programmes

Available reading support includes:

• A phonics programme delivered by a Specialist Teacher 
• Small group or one-to-one reading comprehension sessions
  
• Online intervention programmes (e.g. Lexia)
  
• Support from librarians, specialist teachers or learning support staff
  
• Sixth Form Reading Buddies, who read regularly with younger students to build confidence and enjoyment.
• Students with below average RASS will be tested for dyslexia (if not already diagnosed) and offered specific dyslexia support if appropriate.

Targeted reading support

We closely track students’ reading progress and provide targeted support where needed.

• A phonics based reading programme takes place to support our weakest readers in Year 7, as part of what we refer to as our ‘Achieve Curriculum’. This aims to rapidly develop reading confidence and fluency.

• A literacy support curriculum is in place for students who require additional literacy support in Year 8 and 9. These lessons focus on reading and writing skills and vocabulary development. Further support for literacy is available at KS4 in place of a fourth GCSE option subject. Students are assigned to this class in discussion with the SENDCO.

Fostering a love of reading

The Library

Our Library offers a wonderful space for our students to come in and read for pleasure. The shelves are always fully stocked and updated on a monthly basis to ensure that students have access to a wide variety of texts, from modern literature to classics. There are books and magazines available for all abilities, but students are encouraged to explore a wide range of genres and to challenge their reading choices so that they are always developing their reading skills. We love to receive book recommendations from our students. 

The students describe our library as a bright, welcoming, organised space where they can find help and information as well as books. There are displays in the library highlighting particular themes, genres or book events as well as reviews and recommendations from staff and students. Regular activities are run throughout the year and students can get involved by attending Library Club or by becoming a Student Librarian.

Reading competitions and events

We celebrate reading through:

• Reading competitions and activities
• World Book Day activities
• Rewards for regular reading and recording in planners
• Author visits and workshops
• A Year 7 Spelling Bee
• Participation in the MNSP Library Book Awards
• Participation in Literature Across Borders, which allows students to discuss books with students in India and the USA.
• The Beechen Canon (a curated list of recommended books for each year group) encourages students to read widely. Rewards are given to students and tutor groups who complete the challenge.  Beechen Canon

We are also proud to be ‘Going All In’ to the National Year of Reading 2026. https://goallin.org.uk/

Intended impact

Our reading strategy aims to ensure that:

• All students are reading at or above an age-appropriate level by the end of Year 9
• Students regularly read for pleasure and develop a lasting enjoyment of reading
• Students can fully access the curriculum and achieve strong GCSE outcomes
  
• Reading is valued, encouraged and celebrated across the school

Supporting reading at home

Parents and carers play a vital role in developing strong readers. You can support your child by:

• Encouraging regular reading at home
• Discussing books and asking questions about what they have read
• Ensuring reading homework is completed
• Checking that reading is recorded in planners
• Joining your local library and helping your child find books they enjoy

For further tips on how you can support with reading at home please click on the links below:

7 Top Tips For Supporting Reading At Home

Gender Reading Gap

Together, we can help every Beechen Cliff student become a confident, enthusiastic reader.