The Forest Academy, Ilford, has been recognised for its reading achievements and awarded KS3/4 School of the Year by Reading Plus. Students Kristiana Semenko achieved the Most Words Read by a Pupil (KS3-4 student) Award, and Summer Parker won Most Effort on Reading Plus (KS3 student).
Reading Solutions UK (RSUK), home of Reading Plus, launched the awards to recognise the energy and commitment of schools in England to develop students reading abilities.

Reading Development Consultant, Nick Fullarton at RSUK said:
“The last two years have been one of the most challenging periods in education. Still, we have seen our Reading Plus school progress. Whatever the challenges, schools have delivered a first-class education, working hard to improve children’s literacy skills. We want to celebrate this, and as such, we created the Reading Plus Awards.

“We were delighted to award The Forest Academy as our KS3/4 Reading Plus School of the Year. They have fully implemented the programme within their academy and have seen great success. This is also largely thanks to the Academy’s Head of English, Lupshana Ahmed, who was also a finalist for our KS3/3 Champion of the Year Award.

“We wish the school and students every success and look forward to seeing next year’s results with Reading Plus.”

Will Mackintosh, Principal said: “We are delighted to win this national award. It is down to the hard work from our staff and students across the school. Reading Plus has been a core part of our literacy strategy this year – ensuring that all students are able to make brilliant progress while they are at TFA.
All the evidence suggests that improving fluency will significantly positively impact our students across all of their subjects and into their adult lives. Many of our students have increased their reading age by more than 5 years in the course of one academic year – a truly staggering achievement!”

Lupshana Ahmed, Head of English said: “Read Plus is an amazingly effective way to improve a student’s reading. Students enjoyed the in-school leader boards, postcards and prizes for brilliant progress”

Kristiana Semenko said: “I have found Reading Plus to be much more fun than other e-learning products I used at primary school and I like the fact that comprehension is based on shorter extracts and they make me think. I did not like reading before, but now I am using our school’s e-reader as well as Reading Plus as I am really enjoying reading books. I like getting Reading Plus rewards as I move up levels and my parents can see how I am progressing as it is all online. I like my scjool Reading Plus lessons as it is calm and we all have headphones so we can concentrate. I know more in lessons as my vocabulary increases and I am now confident to write in more detail.”

Summer Parker said: “Reading Plus has improved my vocabulary and understanding in all of my lessons, making me want to work hard and do better. I have found Reading Plus to be really interesting and I have read so many genres and non-fiction topics in different subjects. I am so happy to have won and to have my family and teachers celebrating what I have achieved”

Sapna Vadher, Assistant Principal and Literacy Lead said: “Reading Plus has been embraced across the school. Students have been working hard in school as well as in homework clubs and at home on improving their reading. Our pupils have made tremendous progress across KS3 and we are seeing the positive impact their increase in vocabulary, reading fluency and comprehension is having in all their subjects. Our aim as a school was to foster a love for reading and to improve future choices through improved literacy and we have and will continue to achieve this with Reading Plus and our Literacy Strategy. I am very proud of the progress all of our learners have made, as well as our deserving shortlisted and winning pupils.”

For more information about Reading Plus, please visit www.readingsolutionsuk.com
ENDS
Briony Cragg
PR and Comms Manager, Reading Solutions UK
briony@readingsolutionsuk.com
0191 389 6078

Will Mackintosh, Principal, The Forest Academy