FAQs for schools
You will find answers to common questions here.
Should you still require any help, please do not hesitate to contact us on info@bookmarkreading.org.
The Bookmark Programme
How does the programme work?
Bookmark’s digital platform matches your school with vetted, trained reading volunteers - making it easier to get the extra support you need. Using the Bookmark School Hub, our secure website, you can let volunteers know that you need support and arrange reading sessions at times that suit your timetable.
You choose the pupils you think would benefit the most from the programme to take part and have the flexibility to decide how long they stay on the programme, with options to extend to 12 weeks or more.
What impact does the Bookmark programme have on children?
The National Literacy Trust conducted an independent evaluation of Bookmark’s reading programme for the 2019/2020 school year. They found that our programme had a positive impact on children’s enjoyment of reading, confidence in reading and reading attainment.
The National Literacy Trust also identified a number of further benefits that our programme has on children, including improving their emotional well-being and their self-esteem.
You can find out more about our impact here.
WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE BASE behind THE BOOKMARK PROGRAMME?
Our programme was designed using evidence-based recommendations from The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), The Open University (The OU) and The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and was recently reviewed by the National Literacy Trust. You can read more about this here.
What training do volunteers receive?
All volunteers receive extensive online training on our Bookmark Library. The training takes approximately 4 hours to complete and covers a range of areas including safeguarding, delivery of our online and face-to-face programmes, phonics, and how to help a child choose and navigate books.
Volunteers have ongoing access to the Bookmark Library which is regularly updated with new training and other resources. They are required to regularly update their safeguarding training in line with KCSIE guidelines.
What safeguarding measures are in place?
Safeguarding is at the heart of what we do at Bookmark and all of our safeguarding policies and procedures are available on our website here.
All volunteers go through an extensive recruitment process and are fully vetted and trained before they are able to access the Volunteer Hub and book reading programmes at your school.
We are more than happy to discuss our safeguarding policies and procedures with your team and will go through this with each individual school as part of your initial engagement meeting, before you get started.
WHERE IN THE COUNTRY DO YOU OFFER FACE-TO-FACE READING PROGRAMMES?
We’ve been working with our partner schools and following government advice to plan for the return of our face-to-face programme in some areas of the country.
In the Autumn term, we’re running a pilot in a select number of schools in the London Boroughs of Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea. We will also be running a limited number of face-to-face programmes in Leeds. We hope to offer the programme more widely in the Spring.
Our online programme is available to all our partner schools, across the country.
What’s the difference between Bookmark’s face-to-face and online reading programmes?
Getting your school Bookmark ready
What school resources will be needed to facilitate Bookmark online programmes?
Schools will refer children via the secure School Hub and will then support children to access their online reading sessions in school.
Schools do need to identify an appropriate space within the school for the reading sessions to take place, as well as ensure that a teacher or other appropriate adult is available to log the children in and out and supervise the reading sessions. This is important to ensure that children can be supported if needed and as an added safeguarding measure.
We recommend that schools refer groups of children for reading programmes on the same days/times so that one member of staff can supervise multiple children while they engage in their reading sessions concurrently. This means that a number of children can access that valuable, 1:1 reading time without heavily impacting your school’s resources.
What are the requirements for accessing online reading programmes?
Schools will need to access reading sessions through Google Chrome on a PC, laptop or Chromebook. Please note, iPads, tablets and phones are not compatible.
If sessions are happening concurrently, children will need to be logged into their own unique reading session on their own device.
Each child will require:
Headsets for each individual reading session
A space free from excessive noise
A teacher or appropriate adult present in the room while reading sessions are taking place
HOW MANY CHILDREN CAN BE REFERRED?
There is no limit to the number of children that schools can refer, as long as they all meet the Bookmark criteria of being identified as at risk of not meeting the expected standard in reading. During a recent evaluation by the National Literacy Trust, there were certain groups of children who the programme benefitted most and your School Relationship Manger will be able to discuss this with you further.
How are children referred?
You can quickly and easily refer a child for reading support via your school’s secure online School Hub. Schools can set the parameters for the reading programmes , including the week you would like the programme to start, and the days and times that you would like reading sessions to take place, based on the school timetable. Volunteers who are fully vetted and trained will receive a notification that schools need support and will book onto the reading programmes via the secure Volunteer Hub.
What will I do if I need support along the way?
Each school has a dedicated School Relationship Manager with Bookmark who will facilitate the schools set up and then be there as your main point of contact if you have any questions or need any support throughout your time working with Bookmark.