Help your child with Reading

  • Listen to your child read every day if possible, even if it is for 5 minutes. 

  • Encourage them to segment (break up) words into their sound parts and then blend them (push them back together) to read the whole word. 

  • Read their decodable book 3 times. First time to focus on decoding unfamiliar words, second time to become more fluent and third time to add in expression. 

  • Discuss their reading - can they guess (predict) what will happen next? Ask them to retell the story so far or talk about the characters. Use Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Sequencing skills (children know these as VIPERS) as we do in English and guided reading in class. See link below for some examples of questions to ask children for each skill. KS1 Reading Vipers (literacyshedblog.com) 

  • Try not to make reading a chore but set aside a little bit of time whenever you can, even if they read to you whilst in the car or cooking dinner. 

  • Read stories to them at bedtime so they hear you modelling expression and the use of rich vocabulary  

  • Discuss new word meanings with them to broaden vocabulary. 

  • Adults sit and read a book, magazine or newspaper so the children see you modelling your passion for reading to them. 

  • Visit a library, use digital/eBooks with your child, let children read newspapers and magazines that are appropriate for their age. 
     

Top tips for reading at home 

Before Reading 

If it is the first time your child has read the book, look at the cover and title with them to predict what they think the book might be about. Make links to other books read with similar themes, the same characters and/or similar authors/illustrators. Give them time to flick through the book (do a picture walk). 

During reading

Ask your child many questions about the characters in the book as you read the story. Have your child use his/her finger to follow the direction of the text (top to bottom, left to right). Have your child look at the sentences and see if he/she can identify any of the sounds in the words or any of the High Frequency words they have learnt. Discuss the meaning of any unfamiliar words. 

How to help your child read a word 

Which letter phonemes do you recognise? Can you blend them together? Does the word make sense? Read the sentence again to check. Is there another word that would make sense? Is it a word you know? Have you read the word before? Is it on another page? Are there any bits of the word you recognise? Miss out the word, say ‘mmmm’, finish the sentence. Then go back and work out what the word was. In a rhyming book, think of a word that rhymes. Use the first 1 or 2 sounds with another strategy. Always go back and read the sentence again! 

After reading  

Discuss with your child what they liked/disliked about the story. Can your child think of another title for the book and why? Did the story have a sad or happy ending? Can your child think of a different ending for the story? Can your child think of another character which he/she might want to add to the story and why? With richer picture books, you can ask, ‘what was the big idea of the story?’ 


Quick access to links that support reading: 

Top Tips for Supporting Key Stage One Reading | Twinkl - YouTube 

Modelling reading between child and adult https://youtu.be/5YYrZHr-avA  

Books for KS1 children aged 4-7 | School Reading List  

Books for KS2 children aged 7-11 | School Reading List 

Recommended books for secondary school students aged 11-16 (schoolreadinglist.co.uk) 

News

Posted on: 26/08/2022

GCSE RESULTS 2022

BEST EVER GCSE RESULTS! WELL DONE TO THE STUDENTS AND STAFF. 

The staff at Heyford Park School are delighted with the excellent GCSE and BTEC examination results that Heyford students have achieved. These are a reflection of their fantastic commitment and the high-quality teaching they have received.  All our students should be justifiably proud of their efforts through the most challenging of times. We are really proud of the staff and students at Heyford Park School. It is wonderful that their hard work and commitment has been rewarded in this way. 

Headline KS4 figures are as follows: 

  • 29% of grades at Grade 7+ 
  • 62% of students achieved 5+ in English and Maths 
  • 79% of students achieved 4+ in English and Maths    The success at Heyford Park School includes many exceptional individual performances including Chi Ling who achieved five grade 9s, four grade 8s and a distinction, Clorice achieved four grade 9s, five grade 8’s and two grade 7s. Jacob who achieved four grade 9s, four grade 8s, a merit and grade 5. Ben, who achieved six grade 9s, two grade 7s and a distinction. Ellie Ryan who achieved four grade 9s, four grade 8s and a distinction. We are delighted that our students will now be able to move on to their next stage, whether at Sixth Form, apprenticeships or other pathways.  These fantastic results reflect our dedication to nurture students at all levels of ability and reward them for their positive attitudes, hard work and resilience.  Mrs Harris – A year 11 parent said;

    'Thanks so much to all the staff who have taken the time to support Jacob since year 7. The small school ethos has allowed him to thrive and I'm always bowled over by how well the staff know him as an individual. We know how hard you all work and you are very much appreciated'.

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Posted on: 20/07/2022

Heyford Park School celebrates best ever KS2 SATs results

Heyford park student celebrations

As you may be aware, pupils undertake a range of assessments throughout the course of the school year, some of which are statutory. The Department of Education paused these statutory assessments in 2019/20 and 2020/21 before they resumed again this year.

You may have seen some national headlines reporting a ‘disappointing’ fall in attainment compared with before Covid. We are delighted to share with you the overall fantastic news that the Heyford Park School end of Key Stage 2 assessment results (SATS) are our best ever.

This demonstrates the exciting journey that we have been on and is testament not only to the whole staff team, who have been dedicated to improving teaching and learning in the School, but also to the hard work and effort of the children they inspire. We are proud to share some of the headline figures as follows:

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Good Level of Development

73% achieved (71.8% National in 2019)

Year 1 Phonics

88% of children passed (82% National in 2019)

Year 2 Phonics

100% of children passed their retakes

KS1

Reading

81% achieved age related with 45% achieved above

Writing

76% achieved age related expectations with 7% above

Maths

88% achieved age related with 26% achieved above

71% of children achieved age related in reading writing and maths

KS2

Reading

77% achieved age related with 21% achieved above (74% National average)

Writing

77% achieved age related with 18% achieved above (69% National average)

Maths

74% achieved age related with 15% achieved above (71% National average)

64% of children achieved age related in reading, writing and maths (59% National average)

 

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