Reading and Literacy at The Haven

At The Haven, we believe that strong literacy skills are fundamental to learning, communication, independence and future success. Many of our pupils arrive with gaps in literacy, disrupted educational experiences or negative previous experiences of reading and writing. Our approach is therefore ambitious, personalised, relational and trauma-informed.

We believe that literacy is everyone’s responsibility. Reading, writing, speaking and listening are developed not only through English, but across the whole curriculum, including Maths, Science, Humanities, vocational learning, PSHE, Careers and Preparation for Adulthood.

Developing confident readers

We assess pupils’ reading as close to their start date as possible to establish individual starting points and identify areas for development. We use Lexplore, teacher assessment, reading age information, comprehension assessment and professional knowledge to understand pupils’ reading profiles and identify appropriate support.

Where additional intervention is needed, pupils may access Lexia, targeted reading support, phonics, decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension interventions, alongside supported and repeated reading. Staff at The Haven are also trained in The Reading Thing, enabling us to provide further individualised support where appropriate.

We also work hard to develop a positive culture around reading. Initiatives such as Carnegie Shadowing, our weekly Reading Raffle, World Book Day, theatre visits and curriculum-linked reading activities give pupils opportunities to experience reading as enjoyable, meaningful and relevant. In March 2026, our World Book Day developed into a whole-school literacy day based around Roar by Manjeet Mann, with reading and literacy activities across different curriculum areas.

Literacy across the curriculum

Reading is not confined to English lessons. Staff explicitly support pupils with the reading demands of their subjects, including subject-specific vocabulary, technical texts, instructions, comprehension and written explanations. We use strategies such as pre-teaching vocabulary, modelling, chunking, visual support, glossaries and checking understanding to help pupils access increasingly challenging texts.

Writing and spoken language are equally important. Pupils are given purposeful opportunities to write, explain, discuss, present, question and communicate across the curriculum, with appropriate scaffolding gradually reduced as their confidence and independence develop.

Making a difference

Our focus on reading is already having a positive impact. The proportion of pupils achieving average or above reading scores has improved to 37%, representing a 2.4-fold improvement.

This progress reflects our increasingly systematic approach to identifying reading needs, providing targeted intervention and creating opportunities for pupils to read across the school. We monitor the impact of our provision through reading assessment, Lexplore and Lexia information, learning walks, work scrutiny, pupil voice, intervention reviews and case studies.

Our ultimate aim is simple: we want every young person to leave The Haven as a more confident, capable and independent reader, writer and communicator, equipped to access qualifications, employment, further education and adult life.