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Sixth Form

 

Literacy and Library

 

 

How do we develop a Reading for Pleasure culture at CTK?

OUR STUNNING, BRIGHT AND SPACIOUS LIBRARY IS AT THE HEART OF THE COLLEGE AND AIMS TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH AN OUTSTANDING AREA FOR LEARNING THAT IS FRIENDLY, STIMULATING AND WELL-RESOURCED. SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE ARE WORKING TO DEVELOP A READING FOR PLEASURE CULTURE INCLUDE:

 

  • Library catalogue: Our beautiful library stocks over 7000 books, including fiction as wide-ranging as: mystery, horror, action and adventure, war, sci-fi, graphic novels, comedy and sport! There are also numerous titles that are dyslexia-friendly as well as titles suited to the more reluctant reader offering shorter stories in an easy-read format, and, of course, no library would be complete without the old favourite ‘classical’ reads! Meanwhile, our non-fiction library offers a huge range of books under the headings of our core subjects, as well as books covering travel and tourism, natural history, law and politics, space, the military and general social and life skills such as meditation and dealing with anxiety. We have also updated our collections to include stories and non-fiction texts that offer diverse and inclusive themes such as gender, sexuality, disability and ethnicity. The library also offers a wide variety of magazines, such as computing, football and how-things-work to photography, fashion and food!

 

  • Online library access via Accessit: Students can access the library system from Christ the King College’s website where they can see recently returned books; suggested great new reads; the latest catalogued books, together with videos on how to use Accessit Library Web App, various literacy based news articles and even a word search !!

 

  • SORA! online reading app: All students can download e-books, audiobooks and e-magazines for free on to smartphones or computers, then read anywhere offline;

 

  • Dedicated library lessons every fortnight (Years 7, 8 and 9): Lessons focus on developing new vocabulary, modelling effective reading through the use of book extracts and independent reading using Sparx Reader, as well as exposing students to a variety of reading for pleasure experiences;

 

  • Library access: Our library is open most break and lunch times for reading, changing books, homework on computers and board games as well as a quiet space for those who enjoy a little solitude;

  • Book vending machine: Situated in the dining hall, our book vending machine is used as part of our reward system, with students able to get a brand-new, free book

    of their choice.

 

  • Bookbuzz: When students join us in Year 7, we sign them up to Bookbuzz, an initiative run by national charity, BookTrust. This gives students the opportunity to choose a brand new, free book of their choice from a list of sixteen titles.

 

 

  • Competitions: We run regular in-house and external competitions, e.g. Young Writers and National Reading Champions Quiz.

 

How do we support Literacy across the Curriculum at CTK?

AS PART OF OUR CONTINUING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE AND DEVELOP THE LITERACY OUTCOMES OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES AND STRATEGIES THAT ARE FULLY EMBEDDED IN OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING PROGRAMMES ACROSS ALL SUBJECTS AND KEY STAGES. THESE INCLUDE:

 

  • Reading Mastery Pathways Programme: Using NGRT/CATs and other relevant data, students are placed on one of four ‘pathways’ and may be identified for targeted interventions including 1-1 reading fluency practice with an adult or participating in our highly successful Sixth Form Mentor reading programme.

 

  • Sparx Reader: This personalised online learning platform supports the development of reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary skills. In Key Stage 3, students have a fortnightly, timetabled Sparx and Spelling lesson, as well as using Sparx Reader as part of their fortnightly library lesson. Sparx Reader also makes up the majority of the Independent Learning tasks set as part of the English curriculum.

 

  • Literacy strands and ‘Three Things’ Do Now: Our three Literacy strands (Reading, Oracy and Vocabulary Development) underpin, and are at the forefront of, our Teaching and Learning across all subjects and key stages. In addition to this, all Key Stage 3 and 4 lessons begin with our Three Things Do Now knowledge recall tasks, which support the development of reading, oracy and vocabulary development, as well as providing a consistent, focused start to lessons;

 

  • Tutor Time Literacy Programme: In KS3, one tutor time session a week has a specific focus on reading. These include the Sparx Reader leaderboard, various word games and reading comprehension activities focused on building cultural capital.

 

  • Literacy Enrichment Calendar: We mark a variety of national/international events and initiatives, e.g. World Book Day, No Pens Day, etc and encourage students to participate in national competitions such as Young Writers.

Curriculum...