Page 128 - Bellfort Magazine 2025

Literacy Focus—As a school we promote and prioritise Disciplinary Literacy to raise standards.
Disciplinary Literacy enables learners to think, read, write and speak like experts in a particular
subject. This has started to be embedded into the curriculum through retrieval activities, use of
graphic organisers, word maps, sentence starters, word banks and writing frames. This year our whole
school focus is to provide targeted vocabulary instruction in every subject. Each week we focus on a
different ‘Root Word of the Week’ to enhance pupils’ vocabulary by helping them understand the
meanings of common root words. This approach equips students with strategies to decode unfamiliar
words, fostering greater confidence and independence in reading and comprehension.
Literacy Support—Literacy Support continued to be available this year. Mrs Scott worked with pupils
identified through tracking data as well as those who requested extra support. Pupils in Years 11 and
12 focused on preparation for their GCSE Unit 1 and 4 GCSE English Language Exams. Groups from
Years 8-10 focused on developing spelling, punctuation and grammar as well as consolidating skills
they have been working on in their English lessons.
Register and Read—The The more you read, the wider your vocabulary will become and the more
likely it is that you will excel in school. This is why we have ‘Register and Read’ every Thursday to
provide pupils with some time to read in school. Pupils can bring any novel, comic or factual book and
we also have a book box in each classroom for pupils to choose from if they want something new.
Each month, Form teachers nominated a Reader of the Month to reward pupils who consistently have
a positive attitude to reading. Pupils received a special certificate to acknowledge their achievement.
Reading Partners—This year, our Reading Partner Programme continued to thrive, with Sixth Form
students providing valuable support to Year 8 pupils in developing their reading skills. The Sixth
Formers received training on effective reading support techniques, including how to promote Active
Reading strategies to enhance comprehension. It was lovely to see friendships form as well as seeing
pupils develop confidence with their reading.
What our Sixth Form say about Reading Partners
“I have found this year at Reading Partners encouraging and rewarding. I have enjoyed the
opportunity to meet and get to know younger pupils in the school.” Hannah Smyth
"Being a Reading Partner has been a lovely experience. I have enjoyed supporting and getting
to know the year 8 pupils. I feel it has been beneficial to them as it increased their interest in
reading and motivates them to continue reading other books.” Olivia Stewart
“I have really enjoyed being able to spend time with the younger pupils in our school and
watch their confidence grow in reading. I have also enjoyed being able to watch their
confidence grow in general school life as they adapted to the changes of their new school.”
Gemma White
“I love reading and I want to share my passion. It’s something I want to see valued by children
as it’s a vital skill and enjoyable hobby.” Tameece McKelvey
Summer Reading Challenge—Pupils and staff were challenged to read in an unusual place during their
summer holidays. They took their reading to the next level with some truly wonderful locations.
Bookbuzz— To nurture a love of reading beyond the classroom, our Year 8 pupils participated in
BookTrust’s Bookbuzz programme. This exciting initiative gave each pupil the opportunity to choose
and keep a book from a carefully curated selection of 16 engaging titles. The response was
overwhelmingly positive, with many pupils expressing their enthusiasm. One student remarked, “It
was exciting to pick a book that really suited me,” highlighting the value of personal choice in fostering
reading enjoyment.
Book Week NI—As part of our Book Week NI celebrations, we treated Year 8 pupils to a special
reward trip to Ballymena Library. During the visit, pupils learned how the library operates, had the
opportunity to register as members, and enjoyed a hands-on craft activity.
World Book Day—We had a lot of fun celebrating World Book Day this year. We had the Scholastic
Book Fair where we sold a whopping £715 worth of books which enabled us to receive £286 worth of
books for our school. These books have been added to our form book boxes to be enjoyed during
‘Register and Read’.