Literacy at William de Ferrers School

Reading at William de Ferrers

"Reading forms a key part of daily life for students at William De Ferrers School

William de Ferrers, we value reading as the keyto success for our students; confident readers make for confident learners. We recognise that the curriculum continues to be dominated by text, both in print and on screen. To succeed across all subjects, our pupils need to be able to read effectively to understand, analyse, and extract meaning from a wide range of materials.

Celebrating a Culture of Reading

Here, reading is not only valued but actively celebrated.

• Staff Role Models: Teachers proudly display their current reads in their classrooms to spark conversations.

• Book of the Month: We regularly suggest new and exciting titles for students who are struggling to decide what to pick next. These are taken from our KS3 Recommended reading list. 

• Author visits and workshops: Every year we invite authors and writers into school to work with our pupils about writing creatively in order to capture imagination and to talk about their own reading and writing journeys.

• Library Access: Students have access to the Essex Library Service on Monday lunchtimes. Additionally, Key Stage 3 students attend dedicated library lessons to read books of their choice, borrow new titles, and return finished ones.

Reading at Home: Sparx Reader

To build regular reading habits, students are set weekly Sparx Reader homework. This platform allows students to read e-books of their choice and is specifically designed to support them in developing reading stamina and comprehension skills.

Targeted Reading Support 

We are committed to ensuring no student is left behind. We offer an intensive reading intervention called Thinking Reading for students who are reading at a level of at least two years behind their chronological age, helping them make rapid progress and fully access the curriculum.

Recommended Reading lists

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Whole School Reading Principles and Practices