At George Mitchell School, we believe that reading should be a fundamental part of childhood and a skill which should be developed to support lifelong learning.
Our aim is to develop and embed a strong, sustainable reading culture within the school community. Confident and competent readers will foster a love of reading through a rich and varied experience of texts, in which they are empowered to exercise freedoms of choice and independence.
Adults in school are the pupils’ role models, so we demonstrate that we are readers by sharing with pupils what we are currently reading. Teachers and other adults talk enthusiastically about reading and weave their love of reading into assemblies and presentations. Authors and poets are invited into school and work with year groups.
We really urge you to encourage your child to keep up with all the brilliant reading they have been doing while at school.
There are numerous ways to access books and other reading resources, from your local library and bookshops to online audio books.
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Library
We at George Mitchell School believe the most important thing we can teach children today is a love of reading for pleasure. With so much emphasis on learning, reading for pleasure can be left behind as a treat only for the very young. It is because of this that we feel a library should be at the centre of every school.
A library should be a hub for learning, a place where reading is positively and actively promoted. It should be a centre where new technologies and book-based resources complement and reflect each other and enrich the curriculum. Our library aims to meet the needs of all students and teachers, having an “open-door policy” that welcomes everyone. This is true in both the Primary and Secondary phases. In the Primary phase, each classroom also has an inviting book corner that pupils can browse and enjoy. Both phases of the school are bristling with an exciting and diverse range of texts – as we know well, ‘There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.”
Miss Ainsworth
School Librarian
Assessment and Intervention
Many of our children have English as an additional language: we value the wide range of languages spoken throughout our school. For children who are new to English, we provide additional practice and support through Flash Academy, an online programme to help children to achieve fluency in English. The aim of the programme is to give children a quick and solid English and reading foundation to enable them to access the curriculum with their peers in the classroom. Flash Academy also supports teachers by assessing a child’s current state of language knowledge, across speaking, listening, reading and writing.
We use phonics and standardised assessments (PIRA), alongside teacher assessment, across the Primary and Secondary phases to assess pupils’ reading. Where additional support is required, this is provided 1:1, in small groups or through structured interventions (such as Read, Write Inc.’s ‘Fresh Start’ programme for older children who have not yet mastered phonics or are struggling with reading fluency). All of these interventions are aimed at improving reading mastery, but also fostering a love of reading.
If you are concerned about your child’s reading, please speak to their teacher in the first instance, or contact one of the school’s SEND team.