What is Literacy?
Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world. Literacy and numeracy are the fundamental skills that every young person needs to be able to function and make progress at school, work and in society in general. Improved literacy leads to improved self-esteem and motivation; it enables students to learn independently and it is personally empowering.
Literacy at Westbourne
We believe that literacy should be intrinsically woven into the fabric of school life and involve all staff; particularly considering the increased rigour and challenge of the latest Key Stage Four examination courses. Literacy skills underpin student progression across all subjects and consequently, all teachers at the academy, regardless of subject specialism, are teachers of literacy and take opportunities to embed literacy practice within their lessons.
Should you have any questions or queries relating to literacy at Westbourne, or your child’s reading age, please contact Mr Cole, Assistant Principal:
Literacy across the Curriculum at Westbourne
We are fully committed to improving students’ literacy skills at every opportunity. Teachers take part in regular training on literacy, in order to best support student progress in lessons. Some of the approaches to literacy in the classroom implemented at Westbourne are detailed below.
At Westbourne, we believe that regular reading is vital to academic success. Research shows that children who read widely and often, do better in school than those who do not.
The average reading age required to fully access and comprehend Key Stage 4 exam materials is 15 years and 7 months, however, research shows that the average actual reading age is significantly behind this, at just 10 years and 7 months.
Exams are getting tougher, year after year. If by the time our students take their final exams in Year 11, they cannot confidently access the increasingly complex academic language within them, then they are far less likely to achieve their full potential.
Reading Lists
At Westbourne Academy, we’re passionate about inspiring a love of reading. We’ve curated four reading lists — each named after a famous author — to suit pupils with different reading abilities, helping every student find books that match their ability and interests.
We have also created a special list of 20 classic books that pupils should aim to read during their time at our school — timeless stories that enrich understanding and broaden horizons.
We will be using the website Accelerated Reader (AR) to track reading ability, and which books pupils have read. Pupils who read all the books on the list appropriate for their reading ability will receive a prize — so get reading and aim high!
Explore our selections and discover your next great read!
(For pupils reading at an AR level between 2.0 and 5.5. This is equivalent to a reading age of less than 11 years old.)
(For pupils reading at an AR level between 4.0 and 7.0. This is equivalent to a reading age of between 11 and 12 years old.)
Reading List Benjamin Zephaniah
(For pupils reading at an AR level between 5.0 and 9.0. This is equivalent to a reading age of between 13 and 14 years old.)
(For pupils reading at an AR level between 4.5 and 12.0. This is equivalent to a reading age above 15 years old. Some of these books have mature themes that may only be appropriate for pupils in year 9 and above.)
Reading List Westbourne Academy
(20 classic books for pupils to aim to read throughout their time at Westbourne Academy).