Bridging the Reading Gap – A HEP Transition Support Pilot Programme to support the most vulnerable children during transition from primary to secondary education.
Despite repeated efforts, children from low income families are twice as likely to be behind their peers and one in seven children will begin secondary school as a struggling reader. If these pupils perform in line with others before them, then approximately only one in ten will go on to achieve five or more good GCSE including English and Maths. To support struggling readers, this project aims to use a proven teaching scheme that can support the transition of these struggling readers from the end of their KS2 education into KS3. While primary and secondary schools in Hounslow are supporting children well, there is not yet a common approach or programme in place that supports transition between schools and that allows students to continue their reading education from one school to another. The chosen scheme is more likely to improve attainment as it is designed to be age appropriate and this will best engage the identified group.
The purpose of this pilot programme is to improve the educational outcomes of those who are reading below the age of 10 upon entry to secondary school through a common framework of support that bridges primary and secondary schools.