Dear Parents/Carers,                   

This week, I’d like to share some insights from a study conducted in schools around London nearly 15 years ago. The research explored how parental involvement—particularly listening to children read at home—impacts student achievement in reading. The findings are especially relevant now, as we’ve made some changes to our expectations around homework and reading at school.

In the study, one group of students had parents regularly listen to them read at home, while another group received extra support from teachers. Four other groups continued with their usual routines. After two years, the results were clear: the children whose parents listened to them read showed the greatest improvement in reading. Surprisingly, the group that received extra teacher help showed no more progress than those who had no changes to their learning program.

This highlights a powerful message: parental involvement in reading makes a significant difference.

Why is this important now? Our recent NAPLAN results revealed a persistent challenge in reading comprehension. While students at the lower end of achievement are showing strong growth, we noticed two key concerns:

• We have fewer students achieving in the exceeding range compared to similar schools.
• Our higher-achieving readers are showing less growth over time.

These findings prompted deep reflection and discussion among our staff. We asked ourselves:
What’s causing this? How can we respond?

As a result, we’ve introduced several changes to strengthen reading instruction and engagement across the school:

• Increased use of physical books, especially in Years 2–6.
• Weekly reading aloud for every child, with a strong focus on K–4.
• More targeted small group instruction during literacy blocks.
• Three core teaching approaches tailored to each stage:
• Synthetic Phonics (K–2)
• Reading Comprehension Strategies (Years 2–4)
• Readers Circle (Years 4–6)

Over the coming weeks, our middle leaders will share more about these approaches and why they’re suited to each grade level.

We’re also:

• Ensuring consistency in reading instruction across grades.
• Conducting learning walks focused on small group reading and comprehension.
• Sending home books from our reading room for students who are ready to move beyond decoding.

In summary, our renewed focus is about raising expectations and increasing engagement in reading. The data showed that many students simply weren’t reading regularly. As we move into 2026, we’re committed to helping all students—especially our strong readers—achieve greater growth and success.

What does this mean for you as a parent?

• Your involvement in your child’s reading is more powerful than you might think.
• Listening to your child read, asking questions, and showing interest can make a real difference.

What does this mean for us as a school?

• We’re working hard to ensure every child receives the support they need to grow as a reader.
• We’re strengthening our partnership with families to support learning at home and school.

So, we leave you with a question:
What has been your level of interest in your child’s reading this week?

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can help every child develop a love of reading and the skills to succeed.

Go Gently,

Michael Reardon
Principal