Liverpool Primary School prepares pupils for SATs with Reading Plus

Curriculum Lead Lyndsey Curbishley shares how Whitefield Primary School adapted the implementation of Reading Plus to best suit pupils from Year 2 to Year 6.

School requirements

• Improve reading standards.
• Gain accelerated progress.

Why Reading Plus?

We chose Reading Plus because it provides lots of high-quality data, such as reading speed and skill levels, which can be used to target individual children or small groups.

Implementation of Reading Plus

We use Reading Plus from Year 2 up to Year 6, and the programme is implemented differently in each year group.

All pupils use the programme when arriving at school in the morning and will have another two or three scheduled sessions, depending on the year group.

• In Year 2, children who have surpassed the phonics phases and are confident and able readers will access Reading Plus.
• We consider Year 3 somewhat of a ‘bridge’ year. Some children are still accessing phonics, and some children still need direct instruction from an adult, so Reading Plus is something they work towards accessing.
• As recommended, pupils in Years 4-6 generally access the programme at least three times per week.

Children can (and do!) access the programme from home.

The positive impact of Reading Plus

We have noticed an impact on pupils’ reading fluency, stamina, and confidence. Reading comprehension is the skill that we have seen the most improvement in.

Pupil enjoyment

Pupils enjoy using Reading Plus! Some children really enjoy challenging themselves and receiving certificates for their progress through the levels.

Teacher enjoyment

My favourite feature of Reading Plus is the usage and progress tool, where you can see at a glance who has been accessing the programme, for how long, and what level they are achieving.

Benefits of Reading Plus data collection

The baseline InSight Assessment gave us a helpful starting point, having identified pupils’ reading speed and comprehension levels.

The Reading Plus reporting data has enabled us to target children with the correct support. We can see which children need help with comprehension and then put the necessary intervention in place. Likewise, if children are below level in a particular reading domain, we can use the inbuilt lessons and worksheets to support them with this.

How Reading Plus helps children reach their SATs potential

Our current Year 6s are better prepared for SATs since using Reading Plus. It specifically supports their reading speed and comprehension skills, which are fundamental for completing and passing the reading SATs.