Case Study 5: Surrey
School Background
Case Study 5 is from a small, one-form entry primary school providing for pupils aged 4-11 years. The school is situated in the north of Surrey and draws pupils from a wide catchment area. The school population comes from both the immediate, affluent local area and from less affluent areas further afield. The school has low numbers of pupils who are eligible for free schools meals or who are from ethnic minority backgrounds. The school population is 192 pupils.
How have the materials been used in school?
The reading books were used with 5 year 3 pupils, all boys. The reading sessions were carried out on a 1:1 basis with teaching assistants - this worked well. The reading sessions took place on a twice weekly basis.
What did the school think of the reading books?
The layout of the books was well liked. It was felt they were an accessible length for the pupils. The pupils were keen to use the new materials.
'They were appealing to the children, they liked the layout and the books were an accessible length for them'.
The school felt that having books of an accessible length was important for pupils with a lower reading ability. The school felt that finding enough reading materials aimed at less able, older readers was sometimes difficult.
'It's not something they are going to have seen already in the infants, they haven't got someone else saying I read that when I was in year 1'.
The school also found that the books matched the reading ability levels of the pupils quite well. They thought it would be interesting to see the impact of paired reading sessions, with less able readers reading alongside pupils with a higher reading level. They also considered using the books to complement literacy lessons
Some concern was expressed about the content of a few of the books and their suitability for younger children. The school felt the books were specifically aimed at boys.
What did the school like most about the reading books?
'The Tricky Words were good and they were the ones the children would have had difficulty with'.
'Children who are reluctant readers will often prefer non-fiction'.
It was felt that fictional texts are often more frequently available and so having the opportunity to read non-fiction was welcomed.
'The size of text is accessible to the children, keeping it in small chunks is good'.
'The teaching guide and the guided questions were useful, anything that means you can put something into place without lots of additional planning. As a teacher if you know the supporting material is there rather than having to search around is helpful'.
'Even though the books are at different stages you could tie in a book with what you were doing in your literacy'.
It was also felt the books were of a good size and length and that there was a good mixture of cartoons and pictures, which would appeal to different pupils.
What do the pupils think?
Both pupils gave the books a 'thumbs up' and said they had enjoyed using them. The books about monsters and snakes were well liked.
They were keen to talk about the things they had learned with their classmates and the headteacher said that the pupils had been very motivated to use the books.
Overall
The school was positive about Rapid. They felt that 1:1 reading sessions were helpful for pupils requiring more targeted support, but would also like to use them with groups of pupils. The school was happy to continue using the books and felt they could be an additional resource to supplement other reading materials.
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