Reading Champions School case study - Debden Park High School

	Debden Park High School, Essex Winner - the Reading Champions school of the year competition 2006- secondary category A Reading Champions case study "The boys have worked hard promoting reading in the Learning Resource Centre... [the award] will help in creating a reading culture within the school." Diane Rhodes, LRC Manager, Debden Park High School
Debden Park High School, Essex, is a large new school on the edge of Epping Forest that serves some of the richest and most deprived wards in the catchment area. This diversity brings unique challenges to implementing projects at the school. Diane Rhodes explains their strategy with Reading Champions.

We identified Gifted and Talented pupils in Years 8 and 9 as potential Reading Champions and asked them to help with various activities. Our Champions have a natural enthusiasm and passion for reading which comes easily to them and they have become good role models by creating a culture of reading in the learning resource centre (LRC). By publicly demonstrating their enjoyment and interest in books and reading, they have made reading acceptable to key stage 3 pupils and dispelled the myth that only 'boffs' read.
Our analysis of Year 7 boys revealed a gap of eight or nine years difference in reading ages within some classes. We found a general reluctance to take a book out, read it and finish it. To tackle this lack of enthusiasm we started a Read On club for pupils whose reading age is less than their actual age, though not special needs. They come into the LRC after school twice a week for a 15 to 20 minute reading session with their Reading Champion personal coach. The Champions are trained as reading coaches and receive a pack containing a reminder on how to coach, appointment slips, a register, a copy of their mentee's reading questionnaire and a Read On club booklet that they use with the pupil to track progress. A few of these pupils have behavioural problems but are reluctantly agreeing to be coached and then finding they really enjoy the experience, one boy said: "I like Andrew and reading with him".
The Champions have also benefited in terms of their self-confidence, social skills, their ability to discuss books in-depth, and their intellect. Their vocabulary has also increased and this has infiltrated their writing in the various subjects they study. Our Reading Champions are also raising the profile of reading across the school by:
using a themed display board in the corridor which is changed each half-term being on duty for at least one lunchtime a week in the LRC being available to all pupils, answering their questions and helping them find a book they would like to read helping to check books in and out of the LRC, whilst asking pupils about the books they have read attending a monthly book club
Our three Champion members of staff act as role models by reading alongside their form during our weekly 'everyone reads in class' (ERIC) session lasting 20 minutes. They attend our monthly book club, reading the book and joining in with the discussion with the boys.
We feel we have made reading an enjoyable, inclusive and high-profile activity that is open to all pupils regardless of ability. Pupils from all year groups see boys reading every day in the LRC, the reading circle is enlarging all the time, and pupils see young male teachers reading in their form room or discussing books around the school. All these contribute to changing attitudes towards reading and creating a reading culture. Diane Rhodes, LRC Manager, Debden Park High School Back to school of the year competition 2006