Fred Longworth High School offers a rigorous programme of form time reading where, twice weekly, students read a literary ‘classic’ with their form teacher. Books include Treasure Island, Sherlock Holmes and Animal Farm. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions about the themes, characters and plots of these outstanding books in an effort to expose them to some of the best examples of the written word.

The FLHS English department use Reading Plus software to offer bespoke intervention and support to children, irrelevant of reading ability or age. The software is designed to give children exposure to a range of short texts, both whilst elevating their reading age, reading speed and comprehension. The programme is integrated in our homework provision and has been proven to significantly accelerate students’ reading ability across an academic year. We ask that parents of children in Years 7 and 8 engage with this software, discussing the progress made with your child to encourage a culture of independent reading at home.