Reading and Literacy

Reading is a fundamental skill and a priority for all at THS. Being able to read competently and confidently means students will be able to access the complete secondary curriculum.  The launch of the reading programme in September 2022, to include tutor reading and D.E.A.R, provides students with the opportunity to practise reading skills and develop their comprehension of texts. The aim at THS is for all students to be able to read fluently and accurately and so our targeted reading intervention programme, involving the teaching of phonics, supports students who are not reading at their chronological age. Here at THS, it is our collective responsibility to frequently provide students with opportunities to develop their vocabulary, enhance their reading skills through reading practice and foster life-long habits of reading for pleasure.  

There are three aspects of ‘Reading at THS’:

THS Tutorial Reading Programme: 

THS Tutorial Reading Programme dedicates one weekly tutor period for the tutor group to read as a shared experience. The students are read a book each term by their tutor and students are provided with their own copies of the book so they can follow the text and discuss together. Across the five years, students will read fourteen enriching books with their tutor group. The ‘THS Top Reads’ is a collection of texts which hold significant value for different reasons: the style of writing, the messages they give or the issues explored. The books have been chosen as texts that will: 

• provoke thought 
• bring depth, colour and culture to students’ lives 
• show the world from many perspectives 
• bring a greater understanding of the way we and the world work 
• develop their cultural capital 
• be a pleasure to read 

DEAR “Drop Everything and Read”: 

Time is set aside in the curriculum timetable for both students and their teachers to read their personal book choices for 15 minutes every day on a rolling programme.

Targeted Reading Intervention Programme

Students at a reading age of ten years or below receive targeted and personal reading intervention programmes involving the teaching of phonics and spelling in order to improve reading skills to their chronological age.