We've made a number of the most popular GCSE and KS3 curriculum texts (as well as Easy Reader versions) available for teachers to assign to students. This allows students to meaningfully, accountably and independently read these books outside of lesson time, either as consolidation or as part of a flipped learning 'pre read' approach.
This feature is free and available as part of the platform. To gain access to this feature, your Head of English or Sparx Reader Leader will first need to watch a short explainer video.
Available texts
We currently offer the most popular texts from the 19th Century and Shakespeare lists. You will have the option of setting the original texts or, for most texts, our own Sparx Easy Readers.
KS3
KS3
Originals and Sparx Easy Readers
The Blue Carbuncle
A Scandal in Bohemia
The Speckled Band
A Case of Identity
The Red-Headed League
GCSE
GCSE
Originals only:
Animal Farm
Originals and Sparx Easy Readers:
A Christmas Carol
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Macbeth
Romeo and Juliet
Sparx Easy Reader versions
Sparx Easy Reader versions
We’ve written Sparx Easy Readers for a number of the texts.
These are faithful adaptations that support all students to access the story.
Most sentences have been greatly simplified, but key quotations are kept in and highlighted in bold:
Our Macbeth adaptation includes clarifications on stage directions and is largely written in iambic pentameter, so it feels close to the original while being more accessible to more students.
It’s up to you which texts students read: you might choose to set certain classes the original and others the Easy Reader, or even decide on a per-student basis.
We’re prioritising which texts to add next based on demand from schools.
Assigning Set Texts
To assign a text to students:
Click 'Set Texts' on the menu
Choose your class from the class dropdown
Click 'Assign a set text'
Choose a text – we have full, original texts as well as Sparx Easy Readers.
By default, this will assign to the whole class. You can choose a subset using the ‘Select students…’ option.
Click 'Assign text to Class X'
Unassigning texts
Unassigning texts
If you need to remove a text, you can click the three dots and choose ‘Unassign text’. The student’s progress through the text will be saved, and if you later re-assign it, they’ll pick up where they left off.
Re-assigning texts
Re-assigning texts
If students have been assigned the book before, you’ll see the progress they’ve made, and be able to assign them a further read.
If they are part way through, assigning them the text again will end their current read-through (you will see a warning message when assigning the text).
Progress on previous read-throughs will still be visible to you and the student.
Monitoring progress
Once a book has been assigned to a class, the Set Texts page will display students' progress through each book and their accuracy when answering questions. You can also filter the view by a particular book to see all students assigned and reading that book.
Communication with parents
Communication with parents
We advise sending clear information at the start of using Sparx Reader Set Texts. You can use our template letters (available in printable or email formats) which includes a link to our dedicated webpage - A parent's guide to Sparx Reader
Frequently asked questions
Can I assign multiple Set Texts to students?
Can I assign multiple Set Texts to students?
Yes, there’s no limit to how many different texts you can assign. Just assign the first text, then follow the same process to assign the next text.
Are there analysis questions in the Set Texts?
Are there analysis questions in the Set Texts?
No, our questions are the same as always: basic fact-retrieval questions designed to test whether students have read that section attentively.
Can I assign students individual chapters or staves of Set Texts?
Can I assign students individual chapters or staves of Set Texts?
No, currently you can only assign the whole text. It’s something we’ll explore; if you’re interested, please add feedback to our feedback board.
Do you have An Inspector Calls?
Do you have An Inspector Calls?
No, this one is more complicated as it’s not out of copyright. We know it’s very popular so we’re actively exploring how we could add it.
Can I read Set Texts as a teacher?
Can I read Set Texts as a teacher?
Yes - you can read Set Texts in Reader through the Student Demo (accessed through the More menu). The Set Texts will appear in the Library when selecting a new book.
If this is your first time using the student demo, you'll start by reading a short training book and choosing your first book. This helps you see how Reader works from a student’s perspective. You can then return to the student homepage and click 'Library' on the left menu, to see all our Set Texts.