Guided Reading at Harris Academy Riverside

At Harris Academy Riverside, we know that regular, structured guided reading is essential for broadening vocabulary, developing cultural knowledge, and improving academic outcomes. Students take part in 30-minute guided reading sessions twice a week, giving them the time and support to engage deeply with texts. Research, including Renaissance UK’s largest-ever literacy study of over one million students, shows that schools with regular guided reading see significant improvements in exam performance.

Guided reading helps students develop strategies to decode meaning, analyse texts, and talk confidently about literature. Teachers scaffold learning through small, focused tasks such as sequencing, scanning, skimming, and inference activities. By reading, discussing, and thinking their way through texts, students build confidence, fluency, and a love of reading.

We complement novels with thematic non-fiction texts linked to issues such as identity, culture, historical events, and current affairs. This approach helps students activate prior knowledge, prepare for challenging ideas, and engage critically with the world.

Guided Reading – Tutor Time Programme Overview

The curriculum is carefully sequenced to build skills and broaden cultural understanding:

• Autumn Term: Students explore novels that enrich understanding of culture, identity, and diversity (e.g., The Edge for Year 7, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for Year 8, Teacher’s Dead for Year 9).
• Spring Term: Students move on to thrilling, engaging texts (e.g., Wolves of Willoughby Chase, War of the Worlds, The Woman in Black).
• Summer Term: Students read prestigious, celebrated classics (e.g., Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Lord of the Flies, Brave New World).

These novels are paired with a wide range of non-fiction texts, including historical accounts, personal narratives, and contemporary issues, to develop comprehension, empathy, and critical thinking.

Academic and Enrichment Reading

• Sixth Form students lead guided reading sessions for Key Stage 3 students who are below their expected reading age. They support younger students in developing fluency, comprehension, and confidence through discussion and shared reading activities.
• Reading for Pleasure is encouraged for all students. Research shows that avid readers are more successful and engaged learners. We want students to enjoy reading, build confidence, and develop empathy through exposure to diverse perspectives.

Reading in the Classroom

Reading is prioritised in lessons using strategies that ensure all students actively engage with texts:

• Choral Reading: Students read aloud together, modelling fluency and expression.
• Paired Reading: Students take turns reading passages aloud to each other, supporting confidence and comprehension.

Staff Reading

Our staff model a love of reading by sharing favourite books and reading sections aloud. This demonstrates to students that reading is a lifelong habit and an enjoyable, inspiring activity.

Vocabulary and Literacy Across the Curriculum

Subject Team Leaders carefully identify and sequence both Tier 3 (subject-specific) and Tier 2 (cross-curricular) vocabulary throughout their schemes of learning. This vocabulary is integrated into curriculum maps and reinforced through homework knowledge organisers at Key Stage 3. Teachers explicitly teach new vocabulary using a structured approach - select, define, demonstrate, practice - to ensure it is fully understood and retained. Students are encouraged to actively use and repeat new words, a strategy that strengthens metacognition and helps them internalise and expand their vocabulary over time.

Enrichment and Creative Opportunities

Students at Key Stage 3 who choose Script Club have the chance to write, produce, and perform their own scripts, fostering creativity alongside literacy skills.

Throughout the year, students are also invited to participate in poetry and creative writing competitions, with selected work published internally and made available in the school library. These competitions are often linked to national or international events, such as Black History Month, LGBTQ+ History Month, International Women’s Day, and World Book Day, encouraging students to explore diverse perspectives through their writing.

Our curriculum has been deliberately designed to develop students’ confidence and competence in spoken communication. Each subject area incorporates structured oracy activities into schemes of learning, allowing students to practise discussion, debate, and formal presentation in meaningful contexts.
 

Beyond the classroom, the school offers a wide range of enrichment opportunities to further develop oracy skills. We participate in national programmes such as the Jack Petchey “Speak Out” Challenge, and invite external performers and speakers, including GlobePlayer performers, to engage students across all year groups. Additionally, a dedicated Debate Club runs weekly for students in Key Stages 3 and 5.

Students are also supported in developing leadership and communication skills through participation in student leadership pathways, including student council elections and the delivery of whole-school assemblies (e.g., Black History Month, cultural festivals). Key Stage 5 students receive targeted coaching in interview techniques and employability skills, with a strong emphasis on confident and articulate communication, as well as participation in the Leaders Programme. Our Student Council also plays an active role in shaping school life, leading on areas such as Teaching & Learning, Student Experience, and Fundraising & Events.