Supporting a culture of reading at Paxton Academy

One-to-one Reading Programme

In the last year, 66% of children at Paxton were eligible for pupil premium funding. We know that disadvantaged children are less likely to meet the expected standard in reading and are more likely to be affected by factors that contribute to poor literacy. During this time, children received over 200 reading sessions through our One-to-one Reading Programme. Each session is an opportunity to have dedicated time to read with a trained Bookmark volunteer. 

After completing our programme, Year 3 children who were reading below the expected standard showed noticeable improvements in their fluency by Year 4: ​“The children in Year 4 that have now moved on (from Bookmark) were smashing their fluency to the point we were like, ‘…something has drastically changed’.” 

Samantha asserts that it came down to them getting that extra time to read. 

There are many success stories. Samantha shares how two Year 3 children, put forward because they are reading below the expected level, have benefitted from the programme. 

The first is Theo.* English is not his first language, and he doesn’t read at home. ​‘His enjoyment and smiles’ during the reading sessions with his volunteer have been noticed by Samantha. Theo tells his volunteer about what he is learning in class, and his volunteer looks for related books so they can read them together. It’s encouraging for his teachers to see the connection Theo makes between his classroom learning and his time reading with his volunteer. 

Chloe* finds her classroom lessons difficult and is very reluctant to go to school, but she enjoys her one-to-one reading sessions. She is motivated to come to school and get through the school day because she looks forward to the time with her Bookmark volunteer after lunch. 

Their Year 3 teacher says all the children come back with a skip in their step. ​“You can see that they really enjoy it,” Samantha adds. 

Whole-school reading culture

To improve reading on a whole school level, in addition to our One-to-one Reading Programme, Paxton receives high-quality books, reading resources and The Story Corner magazine. 

Rocket Packs are termly deliveries of new, high-quality and diverse books. Each of the packs is centred on a different theme. They bolster the variety and diversity of reading resources at Paxton and present opportunities for children to become excited about new books. Children read them during their reading sessions. They’re also located around the school, in corridors, where children who ​‘need five minutes to themselves can pick up those books and have a look’. 

The diversity of the books means every child can find themselves represented. Samantha explains that the variety supports reading at all levels – it’s not just stories, but non-fiction too. ​“Everyone can enjoy the books,” she says.

The Story Corner magazine also creates excitement around reading. The magazine is used as a resource in class. Children discuss the stories and play the games together, after which they’re eager to take them home. 

Many children not reading at the expected level do not have opportunities to read at home. Now, some have their own collection of the magazine. The school also distributes our reading scrapbooks to encourage children to read more at home. Samantha says: ​“The scrapbook has impacted home life and encouraged children to do more reading.” 

This year, for the first time, Paxton received our Story Starter packs. This new initiative for Early Years Foundation Stage is designed to excite children about reading from an early age. It also supports parents to read with their children at home. ​“It’s going to show parents that we take reading seriously here,” says Samantha. 

By providing one-to-one reading support and high-quality, diverse reading resources, we’re helping the school to develop a whole-school reading culture. ​“We try to emphasise reading here,” says Samantha. ​“The fact that Bookmark can help us with that is just amazing. You work alongside what we do.”