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A decoding scheme has been the key to unlocking students’ reading ability.

Students joining Royal Docks Academy are given a reading assessment and interventions put into place to help those of lower ability to succeed.

The Ruth Miskin Fresh Start reading scheme involves 33 modules containing stories, including non-fiction texts which pupils have the phonic knowledge to read to ensure success.

Year 7 students read the texts from the English curriculum and answer literal and inferencing questions which also help to improve spelling.

Janet Ayerman, reading scheme co-ordinator, said: “This is a decoding scheme which teaches students to use phonics and to build on the skills they need to read and understand texts and to make comments on them.Previously, we ran the scheme during tutor time, but now we are devoting more time to it and doing it during English lessons until they are ready to follow the curriculum with the rest of their year group.

We see a change in students’ confidence in reading in class, as a result, as they feel secure in their ability. They are also more confident in investigating texts.