The impact of Reading Plus on students with low reading engagement levels at Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy

Alison Jacobson, transition, SEN and literacy teacher,  at Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy shares with us how Reading Plus impacted the students with low reading engagement levels.

Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy started using Reading Plus after hearing, through transition discussions, about the positive effect reading plus has had on schools from Year 6 Primary Teachers.

Why Reading Plus?

We had tried many Reading Programmes but felt Reading Plus was worth a try, given the excellent reviews. We were looking to develop reading skills for students who found reading challenging and to ensure they could access the curriculum fully in all subject areas.

Outstand support and an easy implementation process

It was a very straightforward implementation process. We received outstanding support from all the Reading Plus Team. The Customer Support Team is easily accessible and responds quickly and efficiently.

Data that supports good teaching first

The programme makes it very easy to see just how each student is doing. Due to progress data being readily available on Reading Plus it is easy to measure impact throughout the course. It provides very detailed group and student reports on progress.

Increasing motivation

The students find the fact that they can choose their own books and seeing their progression line very motivating.

Identifying areas of development

Knowing where the students start, where skills are weak, and the progress made is extremely valuable as a teacher. The reporting data has helped guide teaching because it has helped identify key areas of weakness for each student.

Proven results

Reading levels varied at our school before Reading Plus, however, to use the programme we focused on students that had low levels of reading skills and reading engagement. The students have all shown progress as the programme has progressed and it has created a positive reading routine for most participants.

Accessible at home

The involvement of parents and accessing the programme easily at home has had a positive impact in many instances.

Preparing students for KS4

Using Reading Plus has helped pupils be better prepared for KS4 because of the improvement in reading skills the programme has provided, the development of their skills will provide greater access to the KS4 curriculum.

Will you continue using Reading Plus?

We are considering using Reading Plus for a greater number of students next year. We feel Year 7 students will require a programme that helps them focus and get their reading on track set given the recent school closures in the past years.

*First posted 11 May 2022. All information correct at time of publishing.