Transition
How do we incorperate reading into the transition from primary to Baysgarth?
As part of our transition work with our new students, each year we create our very own 'Baysgarth's audio book' which features the voices of our staff reading the chapters. Each week a new installment of the chosen novel is released to our new Year 7 students with the accompanying audio. Our students begin to associate all of our staff members as being reading champions from the very beginning of their time at Baysgarth. It's also great to engage them in listening and following along to a novel which is what they do in Collective Reading once they arrive.
In the summer of 2022 we chose 'Talking to Alaska' by Anna Woltz as our Baysgarth audio book. We accompanied the novel with a variety of activities to help our students explore its characters, themes and events.
Take a look at some of the feedback we received!
How do we ensure that our students continue to be challenged in their reading when they leave primary?
All of the books selected for Collective Reading are a result of careful consideration such as: bestseller lists, award-winners, popularity with students and teachers as well as being reflective of the diverse world that we live in. Another really important aspect of book selection is ensuring that our students continue to be challenged at their appropriate level. We cross-reference the Collective Reading novels with the books read at our local primary schools to ensure that we do not duplicate titles. Additionally, we ensure that the age ratings and issues explored in the novels that we select for KS3 circulation are appropriate to our learners and the context of our school.