Reading at The Queen Elizabeth Academy
Why reading matters
At The Queen Elizabeth Academy, reading sits at the heart of our approach to learning. Research shows that strong reading skills are one of the most important factors in a child’s success at school. When pupils can read confidently, they are better able to understand new ideas, learn subject vocabulary and access the full curriculum across subjects such as science, history and mathematics.
Educational research from organisations such as the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) highlights that improving reading helps pupils make progress in every subject because so much learning depends on understanding written information. For this reason, we place a strong emphasis on helping all pupils become confident, fluent readers while also developing a culture where reading is visible, valued and encouraged across the school.
Reading for all pupils
All pupils take part in our Reading for All programme. This ensures that every pupil reads regularly in school, helping to build fluency, confidence and enjoyment while exposing pupils to a wide range of texts.
Pupils also complete NGRT (New Group Reading Test) assessments each year. NGRT is a nationally standardised reading assessment used by many schools across the UK. It measures skills such as comprehension, vocabulary and sentence understanding. The results provide a reading age and standardised score, allowing us to track progress over time and identify pupils who may benefit from additional reading support.
Additional support for developing readers
For pupils who need extra help with reading, we provide targeted support to develop both fluency and comprehension.
- KS3 Library Lessons – Structured reading time that helps pupils develop confidence and understanding when reading longer texts.
- Year 7 and Year 8 Catch Up Sessions – Additional timetabled support for pupils whose reading requires further development following transition from primary school.
Intensive reading interventions
For pupils who need the most support, we run specialist reading programmes.
- Direct Instruction Reading (Year 7 and Year 8)
The weaker readers in each year group receive a highly structured programme that teaches reading explicitly through carefully sequenced lessons. Pupils practise decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension with immediate feedback and repeated practice. This structured approach helps pupils build accuracy, confidence and independence when reading.
- Lexia Reading (Year 9 and Year 10)
Older pupils with the greatest reading needs receive support through Lexia, an adaptive digital reading programme. Lexia identifies individual gaps in a pupil’s reading and provides personalised practice to help develop phonics, vocabulary and comprehension skills. Staff are able to monitor pupils’ progress through real time data and provide additional support where needed.
- Reading homework at KS3
To support reading development beyond the classroom, KS3 pupils complete Sparx Reader homework every fortnight. Sparx Reader is an online reading platform that provides pupils with carefully selected texts matched to their reading level.
Pupils answer comprehension questions as they read, which helps them develop understanding and encourages them to read carefully and thoughtfully. The platform adapts to each pupil’s ability, ensuring they are reading texts that are appropriately challenging while building both confidence and stamina.
- Tracking reading progress
From this academic year we have strengthened how we track and monitor reading support across the school. A clear intervention map allows staff to record, review and evaluate the support pupils receive. This ensures that pupils receive the right support at the right time and allows leaders to monitor the impact of reading interventions as pupils move through the school.
- Reading across the curriculum
Reading is not only taught in English lessons. Teachers across all subjects explicitly teach subject specific vocabulary and reading strategies, helping pupils learn how to read and understand texts in different subjects such as science, geography and history.
Promoting reading for pleasure
Alongside academic support, we are continuing to develop a strong culture where reading is encouraged and celebrated.
Following the appointment of a school librarian in December 2025, we are expanding opportunities for pupils to discover and enjoy books. This includes the development of book clubs, reading enrichment opportunities and the launch of a book vending machine in Summer 2026, which will reward and encourage pupils to engage with reading.
Our aim
Through these approaches, reading is not treated as a standalone initiative but as a whole school priority. Our aim is that every pupil leaves The Queen Elizabeth Academy with the knowledge, vocabulary and confidence to read successfully across the curriculum and beyond school.