Furrowfield School Reading at Furrowfield School 2026-2027
This document is a school brochure from Furrowfield School, a specialist SEMH setting, outlining its reading provision for the 2026-2027 academic year. It is intended for staff, parents, and visitors who want to understand how the school teaches reading to students with social, emotional, and mental health needs.
The brochure begins by stating that reading is central to improving life chances and confidence. It explains that many students arrive with disrupted literacy journeys, so the school uses a personalised, inclusive, and research-informed approach. The school's core values in reading are imaginative, inquisitive, resilient, reflective, and collaborative.
The document details the school's research-informed approach, including systematic phonics for decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It describes targeted phonics support delivered by trained staff in small groups or one-to-one, with daily practice and assessment-informed teaching to close gaps rapidly.
The brochure introduces the dedicated Reading Room, a calm environment for independent reading and guided sessions. It promotes reading for pleasure through dedicated timetable time, tutor-led sessions, staff recommendations, and celebration assemblies. The text selection includes high-interest low-barrier books, graphic novels, picture books for older students, dyslexia-friendly texts, and diverse literature.
Reading across the curriculum is covered, with staff explicitly teaching subject-specific vocabulary and comprehension strategies. The document links reading to careers, helping students understand job applications and technical information. It also addresses support for students with SEMH needs through trauma-informed teaching and therapeutic contexts like TASC.
Finally, the brochure explains how reading success is celebrated through applause, assemblies, and recognition of progress. It concludes by stating that reading at Furrowfield is about opening doors, building futures, and creating life chances, reinforcing the school's motto 'Together We Succeed'.