A Hainault school has won a national award for helping students to improve their reading skills in an online programme.

The Forest Academy (TFA) was announced as the Reading Plus School of the Year 2021-22.

The school also celebrated the success of two pupils who won individual categories: Kristiana Semenko for Most Words Read by a Pupil and Summer Parker who won the national award for Most Effort on Reading Plus.

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Summer and Kristiana will both receive trophies, certificates and a book award, presented in a special assembly.

Principal Will Mackintosh 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 five years in the course of one academic year – a truly staggering achievement.”

Summer said: “Reading Plus has improved my vocabulary and understanding in all my lessons, making me want to work hard and do better.”

Kristiana 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 know more in lessons as my vocabulary increases and I am now confident to write in more detail.”

Nick Fullarton, reading development consultant at Reading Plus said: “The last two years have been one of the most challenging periods in education. 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 wish the school and students every success and look forward to seeing next year’s results.”