Getting results

HEADTEACHERS have praised a campaign backed by the Oxford Mail for playing a part in a dramatic improvement in primary school reading levels.

The number of Oxfordshire children making good levels of progress in reading throughout primary school has soared from 85 to 90 per cent between the ages of seven and 11, new data shows.

And headteachers have said the Oxford Mail-backed Oxfordshire Reading Campaign, which provides training, reading interventions and a volunteer reading scheme for seven-year-olds, has had a direct impact on results.

In the last year, the proportion of children making at least two levels of progress from Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 has jumped from 85 to 90 per cent, while in the same period it dipped nationally from 90 per cent to 88 per cent.

Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County Council children, education and families cabinet member, said she believed the improvements were “more than in part”

linked to the campaign.

She said: “It has developed a culture in schools of readingandreading for pleasure. It’s more than a passing thing, I think it is because of the reading scheme.”

The new figures also reveal that Oxfordshire has surged to jointfirst in a league table comparing us with 10 other similar rural local authorities for its reading statistics – up from sixth last year.

The reading campaign was launched following poorKeyStage 1 results in 2010 where Oxford city performed worse in reading and writing than any other area.

To achieve a Level 4 in reading, children need to understand inference and read into characters.

This year’s texts included an extract from the Jungle Book, while a Level 4 reader should be able to read something like Harry Potter or the Northern Lights.

Jon Gray, headteacher at Cutteslowe Primary School, said preliminary results for his school showed attainment and progress were above national levels – and the campaign had played a key part.

Hesaid: “It’s raising the profile of reading both in school and for parents and for volunteers, and we have a lot more volunteers coming in as a result.

“It’s definitely had a knock-on effect both in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and also the early years.

“Wecan see our children making really good progress and, in some cases, outstanding progress.”

Deputy headteacher Sarah Gristwood leads the intervention in school.

She said: “It’s about the reading culture of the school. Ithasencouraged us to do different things and to have more of a focus.”

Alvar Bhutta, seven, from Oxford, a pupil at Cutteslowe, said: “Reading is fun becauseweuse our imagination. I like reading on my own and I think we do more reading in school now.”

Reading Campaign, which provides training, reading interventions and a volunteer reading scheme for seven-year-olds, has had a direct impact on results.

In the last year, the proportion of children making at least two levels of progress from Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 has jumped from 85 to 90 per cent, while in the same period it dipped nationally from 90 per cent to 88 per cent.

Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County Council children, education and families cabinet member, said she believed the improvements were “more than in part” linked to the campaign.

She said: “It has developed a culture in schools of readingandreading for pleasure. It’s more than a passing thing, I think it is because of the reading scheme.”

The new figures also reveal that Oxfordshire has surged to jointfirst in a league table comparing us with 10 other similar rural local authorities for its reading statistics – up from sixth last year.

The reading campaign was launched following poorKeyStage 1 results in 2010 where Oxford city performed worse in reading and writing than any other area.

To achieve a Level 4 in reading, children need to understand inference and read into characters.

This year’s texts included an extract from the Jungle Book, while a Level 4 reader should be able to read something like Harry Potter or the Northern Lights.

Jon Gray, headteacher at Cutteslowe Primary School, said preliminary results for his school showed attainment and progress were above national levels – and the campaign had played a key part.

Hesaid: “It’s raising the profile of reading both in school and for parents and for volunteers, and we have a lot more volunteers coming in as a result.

“It’s definitely had a knock-on effect both in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and also the early years.

“Wecan see our children making really good progress and, in some cases, outstanding progress.”

Deputy headteacher Sarah Gristwood leads the intervention in school.

She said: “It’s about the reading culture of the school. Ithasencouraged us to do different things and to have more of a focus.”

Alvar Bhutta, seven, from Oxford, a pupil at Cutteslowe, said: “Reading is fun because we use our imagination. I like reading on my own and I think we do more reading in school now.”

The proportion of children achieving at least two levels of progress also rose in writing, from 92 to 93 per cent, and in maths, from 88 to 89 per cent.

For the first time, pupils were tested on grammar, punctuation and spelling, and 73 per cent of county pupils achieved at least a Level 4, compared with 74 per cent in all English schools.

Lynn Knapp, headteacher at Windmill Primary School, Headington, said the effects of the reading campaign had “definitely” filtered throughout the school.

She said: “We have always had a focus on reading, but having other strategies to use for children who are vulnerable is really important and that is where the reading campaign has helped because of the quality of training and the quality of the materials.”

At St Ebbe’s Primary School, in Whitehouse Road, all pupils made at least two levels of progress.

Headteacher Susie Bagnall said: “Reading has been given a really high profile, but the bigger impact has been at Key Stage 1 – our Level 2b plus results have gone up from 67 per cent to 80 per cent.”

The measures on which schools are assessed has changed.

Previously, the benchmark figure was the proportion of pupils achieving the expected Level 4 or above in both English and maths.

Nowpupils are judgedonthe proportion achieving those levels in reading and maths tests and writing teachers assessments.

For Oxfordshire, that percentage remained consistent at 77 per cent in this summer's results compared with last year, and just over the national average of 76 per cent.