Inspectors 鈥渞arely see鈥 secondary school leaders 鈥渄eveloping a coordinated strategy for struggling readers鈥 that picks up and address their specific needs, a new Ofsted report said. The watchdog has today published a into how six high-performing secondary schools provided targeted support for children. The guidance aims to 鈥渟upport other secondary schools鈥 and inform inspection practice. However, Ofsted added the findings showed what worked in the schools it visited, 鈥渞ather than providing recommendations for all schools鈥. The report cited showing only 10 per cent of disadvantaged children who leave primary school with below the expected reading standard get passes in English and maths at GCSE. Here鈥檚 the key findings: 1. Leadership of reading 鈥榓t senior level鈥 Ofsted found in each of the six schools, leadership of reading was led by a deputy head or literacy lead who were part of the senior leadership team. This ensured reading was part of a 鈥渨ell-thought-out鈥 curriculum and a wider school reading strategy. 鈥淭he priority that senior leaders gave reading, and their investment in reading, meant it had a high status across the school,鈥 the report read. 鈥淭eachers and support staff all said it was part of their role to help struggling readers.鈥 An example of embedding reading across the whole school included teachers having 鈥榳hat I am currently reading鈥 posters in their classrooms. 鈥淪taff did not see reading as solely the responsibility of the English department,鈥 the report said. 2. Test, test and test 鈥 Ofsted said leaders of the six schools 鈥渦nderstood the importance of accurately identifying pupils鈥 reading needs鈥. They ran screening assessments across the whole of year 7 to identify pupils struggling with reading. They then used more 鈥済ranular鈥 diagnostic assessments to identify specific gaps and weaknesses, 鈥渟o they could give pupils the appropriate additional teaching鈥. This also included different diagnostic assessments to test different aspects of reading including phonics, accuracy and speed. Information, including 鈥減upil profiles鈥, was shared with all staff via 鈥渇requent鈥 emails, school management systems and departmental meetings. Doing so meant schools 鈥渆xtended the additional teaching for struggling readers into the classroom and curriculum subject teaching鈥. Schools then ran 鈥渞egular assessments to understand the gains pupils had made鈥 after the extra support. An analysis of 30 secondary school inspections between September last year and January found while 28 assessed all year 7s to find those struggling, they did not follow up with diagnostic tests to 鈥渋dentify precise gaps in knowledge鈥. 3. 鈥 and train staff on early reading During a focus group, senior inspectors said secondaries 鈥渄id not always have staff trained to teach pupils who were in the early stages of learning to read鈥. While schools widely shared reading age data, teachers and support staff were not given the training they needed to help those pupils. Staff often have 鈥渓ittle experience or, and training in鈥 supporting struggling readers in subjects including science, history or modern foreign languages. A lack of expertise can lead to relying 鈥渢oo heavily鈥 on commercial programmes, rather than investing in staff training. In the six schools, staff had external training to teach reading and some had intensive training courses of phonics and reading fluency. Trained staff then 鈥渟hared their expertise and delivered internal training鈥. The six schools also utilised the expertise of primary teachers, with two employing primary-trained teachers to teach struggling readers and train staff. 4. Schools say librarians are key The schools also told Ofsted about the importance of having “highly skilled” librarians to help purchase books and direct pupils to 鈥渂ooks they found interesting鈥. Three of the schools had at least one professionally qualified librarian. Some had access to data on struggling readers and helped pupils find suitable books. Some also ran reading tests and one had engaging with struggling readers as a key performance target. A 2019 study found one in eight schools do not have a library, but this dropped to one in five for schools with more poorer pupils. A current funding crisis means such provision could also be first on the chopping block. 5. Why does support stop at end of year 9? Despite the positives, Ofsted found schools did not 鈥渁lways know the longer-term impact of help鈥 because the assessment and monitoring stopped at the end of year 9. 鈥淭his means that pupils who begin to struggle later, or new starters in key stage 4, might not receive targeted support,鈥 the report said. The report suggests 鈥渁 lack of additional funding after key stage 3鈥 may be one reason. Another could be the perception 鈥渙nce pupils have reached their chronological reading age, or 鈥榞raduated鈥 from a reading programme, they do not need further help or monitoring.鈥 However, several pupils told inspectors they felt 鈥渓ess enthusiastic and motivated to read for pleasure鈥 in key stage 4. A wider analysis of recently inspected secondary schools found the lack of such support in key stage 4 was widespread. 6. Spielman: ‘Staff should be aware pupils lacking the basics’ Amanda Spielman, the inspectorate鈥檚 chief inspector, said the ability to read is a 鈥渇undamental life skill鈥 and secondary school staff 鈥渟hould be aware that a significant number of their pupils are lacking the basics鈥. Each year around one quarter of 11-year-olds do not meet the expected standard in reading at the end of primary school. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 essential that children who leave primary school unable to read well get the additional teaching they need to participate both academically and in wider society,鈥 Spielman added. Nerd note on which schools were chosen … Ofsted identified 40 top performing secondary schools where data showed year 7 pupils with below expected standards in reading went on to make 鈥渁ccelerated鈥 progress. However the data was based on results across 2017 to 2019 because of Covid. Ofsted 鈥渇urther validated鈥 schools by analysing their catch-up statements and looked at recent inspections mentioning reading. The final selection was down to those that could host a visit during Covid. Three council schools, two converter and one sponsored academy was visited.