Case Study 2: South Bristol
School Background
Case Study 2 is a mixed community primary school, with nursery provision, situated on the south side of
Bristol. There are 365 pupils on roll, aged 3-11 years. The school mainly draws its pupils from the local area and the vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
How have the materials been used in school?
The reading books were used with 6 pupils in the school. 2 pupils were selected from each of the year groups 3, 4 and 5. There was an equal split of boys and girls. The pupils were introduced to the books by the head teacher and the literacy coordinator and were asked to select which book they wished to read first. There was then an initial session where the pupils and the teacher familiarised themselves with the materials. The books were then read on a weekly basis in 1:1 sessions.
What did the school think of the reading books?
The teacher who used the reading books was very impressed. She said the pupils were,
'very motivated and excited to use the books'.
She also felt the pupils liked the size of the books and the photographs. It was felt that the books were especially good for year 5 pupils, particularly those who were struggling with their reading, as being able to complete a whole book was a confidence boost for them.
'Not picking up a huge book that they have to plough through, that's a confidence builder'.
Her first impressions were,
'Wow – we have something here that is suitable for all ages'.
The teacher initially felt the books were more suitable for boys but quickly changed her mind when she discovered that the girls who were reading the books were just as motivated to use them.
'One girl went for 'Under the Sea', another one went for the animal one. They all chose differently'.
It was also felt that the way the small chunks of text in the books and the mixture of real photographs with cartoons were good features.
What did the school like most about the reading books?
The teacher was particularly impressed with the Before Reading page and the Quiz. She also liked the subtle way in which the stages of the books were presented on the back page so they were not too obvious.
'A lot of the subjects [in the books] were things [the] children were already doing in class.'
The motivational aspect of the books was considered to be particularly appealing. The children were very excited to use the books and the teacher said they would continue to use them in school.
What do the pupils think?
The six pupils who used the books were asked to rate the reading books by giving a 'thumbs up' or a 'thumbs down'. All six pupils gave the books a 'thumbs up'.
The teacher said that the pupils liked the size of the books and the fact that they could fit them into their school drawer. They really liked the real life facts in the books and wanted to tell their friends about things they had learnt.
And this is what the children thought of Rapid:
'I liked the titles', 'I liked the pictures'.
'There were all different subjects and I liked the things the books talk about'.
'You could use them for information and we could learn things'.
'The colours suit the pictures and the titles'.
What did the school think of the software?
The teacher who used the reading books trialled the materials herself, although she has not had the opportunity to use the software with pupils. She felt the software would be particularly useful with pupils with special educational needs. She liked the idea of pupils being able to record their reading and the fact that if they were stuck on a word the software would prompt them. The teacher felt this was useful because problem words can sometimes be off-putting for pupils. She also liked the use of the Glossary and felt the headset was useful for pupils, as they could all work together in a room but still read by themselves.
Overall
The school was very positive about the reading materials. The pupils were motivated to use the books and enjoyed the topic areas and the way the books were presented. The school was happy to continue using the reading materials and looked forward to using the software with other pupils in the school.
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