Shapwick School

Each pupil entering Shapwick School has the opportunity to have individual literacy support where needed. He or she is screened on entry and an appropriate programme devised. A minimum of 35 minutes a week is spent on reading, comprehension and spelling tasks. Each programme of work is tailored to each individual and ties in with IEP (Individual Education Plan) targets. Software plays a part in each lesson, as do lots of games and structured readers from the Spirals and Barrington Stoke ranges. The school has a library of high interest, age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction aimed at different reading ages.

Regular monitoring of reading and spelling progress takes place. Shapwick is proud of the impressive improvements in reading and spelling ages across Years 9, 10 and 11.

Reading Clinic is a scheme whereby students choose to spend 10 minutes of their time each morning, Monday to Friday, reading from a specially structured series of books. Each student has a small book in which any difficult words are recorded; the student then practises those words (3 maximum) before the following morning, when we go through them before continuing with the story. It is a simple process but one which benefits students considerably throughout the year.

Barrington Stoke ‘Young Editors’:

Shapwick has an exciting scheme in place in conjunction with the publishers Barrington Stoke. Pupils act as ‘Young Editors’; they are sent manuscripts aimed at certain reading ages, they comment on the content, vocabulary, degree of difficulty of the text and interest rating, and return the manuscripts marked up accordingly. All this has to be done within a space of 2-3 weeks. Their opinions and notes are taken seriously and the final published edition of the book contains most of the students’ changes. Each student receives a copy of the published book he or she has worked on; the student is recognized as a consultant in a list on the last page. They are very proud to take part in such an important and highly valued activity. This is a brilliant scheme which gives reading an added purpose and makes it relevant to everyday life; Shapwick students love doing it and ask when the next one will arrive!