"ReadingWise has been a game changer at our school with regards to how we’re supporting students’ literacy, due to the variety of different functions it has."
Friern Barnet School is a secondary comprehensive school with approximately 720 students in North London. The school has 36.7% FSM students and its last ofsted, in February 2024, was good.
Head of English
"ReadingWise has been a game changer at our school with regards to how we’re supporting students’ literacy, due to the variety of different functions it has."
"It is so fantastic to have one product that we can use across the school in order to support students at all stages of their reading journey. Having just one place to access everything makes it very easy for students and teachers to use."
"Our SEND and EAL students find great benefit from using the Zip and Decoding sections, enjoying the reward system greatly. Our intervention groups have used the Comprehension function to great success, and our mainstream English classes all use the vocab section as part of their weekly learning. The word lists in vocab can be tailored to your specific needs, and we have easily created lists to support our English SoWs, which allows students to learn key vocabulary that they can then apply to their classwork."
"It is especially helpful that ReadingWise have a huge bank of pre-made word/definition matches, which makes producing word lists so easy. We have recently switched to using the task function for setting home learning, which students have said that they really enjoy, as it’s easy for them to see their progress and achievements, which really motivates them.
From a teacher’s perspective, it also makes checking that home learning has been completed very easy! ReadingWise’s customer service is second to none – they are always patient and helpful, which has made implementing and embedding ReadingWise into our school a really simple process. I would recommend the programme to all schools looking for a versatile and easy to use literacy programme."
Assistant headteacher/ English teacher
"ReadingWise is a great resource for students to use both in school and at home. Since we have embedded time for all students to access ReadingWise in weekly library lessons, the development in students' vocabulary is remarkable and as a result their written work is enriched as well as their reading comprehension. The interface is user-friendly for both staff and students: I can monitor time and engagement easily, and pupils really enjoy completing work on ReadingWise and are able to monitor how well their comprehension is developing. The ability to set our own word lists means that ReadingWise can be personalised to suit the needs of the school and to match our curriculum perfectly."
EAL Teaching Assistant
"ReadingWise has been a fantastic addition to our phonics intervention lessons, enabling students to put their phonics knowledge into practice, build their confidence, and progress at their own pace."
Student Feedback
EAL students in the early stages of learning English:
"I like using the computer - it's fun to use the computer for reading."
"I like seeing how many coins I've got."
"I like going on the computer because it helps me to learn things on my own."
KS3 students for whom it is embedded in lessons:
"ReadingWise helps me to remember new vocab."
"My teacher made us do it for two 15 minute homeworks every week in Year 7. It helped me build my vocabulary and I got into a routine with it. I kind of miss doing it this year."
"It helps me with vocab and I can do it in the LRC at school or at home."
Students involved in reading Comprehension interventions:
"ReadingWise has made me more confident and I now put my hand up a lot more in English lessons."
"Since starting the Comprehension intervention on ReadingWise, I have read books that I would not have chosen before as I feel more confident and I enjoy reading more."
