.png)
School Life
Reading
At Ellowes Hall, we believe that every student, regardless of ability or needs, has the right to experience the joy of reading. This is why we have invested in reading, not only across the full array of subject curriculums, but also through our library and leadership roles within school. We follow three strands to ensure Ellowes is a reading school.
We assess our students throughout the year to ensure that all teachers are aware of their reading ages. This is also communicated with parents.
Reading for Pleasure
Library lessons
All Key Stage 3 English groups have designated library lessons where students can discuss book genres and check out books with the help of their English teachers. It also helps more reluctant readers to find books that they are interested in.
We are proud to have developed a strong relationship with our local Dudley library, Gornal library. Our aim is that every Year 7 student is a member and has opportunity to visit several times a year as part of their English lessons with the idea that this continues with our new cohorts of Year 7.
The school library is also open every lunch time with spaces for students to spend time reading in a comfortable area that has been designed by the student librarians and Reading ambassadors.
Reading ambassadors and librarians
Our library is student led with the help of Ellowes staff. They have responsibility for restocking the library by regular visits to local bookshops and have also helped create a Free library in Humbugs café, Sedgley which is helping promote the love of reading in our local community.
Reading Cloud library system
We have invested in a new library system called Reading Cloud. This enables students to build a profile and check out and return books like a public library. Parents are also able to see their child’s reading habits and encourage them to read at home using this too. They can write reviews and earn tokens for our Reading vending machine.
Supporting our Struggling Readers
Sparx Reader
Our homework system supports our reading aims with students using Sparx Reader to read for at least 30 minutes a week and answer questions to strengthen their comprehension, inference and vocabulary skills.
Fresh Start
Our phonics programme supports students who need more 1-1 support. This is conducted in intervention sessions with specialised teachers. We use Ruth Miskin’s Fresh Start programme.
Catch up literacy and paired reading
Volunteers from our Ellowes community will be working with our students to ensure they have as many opportunities to read aloud as possible, building their confidence with fluency, pronunciation and comprehension.
Enhancing our Curriculum
Form Time Reading programme
Our Key Stage 3 students follow a form time reading programme with their tutors reading a range of exciting titles across the year. Discussions are based on their reading to help improve their reading and oracy skills. New titles have been purchased this year which are proving very popular!
Forensic Reading
As part of the English curriculum, students take part in a Forensic Reading programme discussing a range of non-fiction texts that are thematic including Refugees, Money and Greed, Masculinity in the 21st century amongst others.
