Reading at All Saints'

At All Saints’, we believe that reading is fundamental to learning, opportunity and future success. Our ambition is for every pupil to become a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader, regardless of their starting point.

Reading is a genuine whole-school priority. We provide opportunities for pupils to read widely, develop their vocabulary and comprehension, discover new authors and ideas, and develop a lifelong love of reading.

 

Reading for Pleasure

We want our pupils to discover the joy, curiosity and escapism that reading can provide.

We prioritise reading through our 30-minute form time sessions dedicated to reading. Pupils engage with a carefully selected range of high-quality literature, including diverse voices, perspectives and experiences. Our texts explore modern-day issues and provide opportunities for thought-provoking discussion, helping pupils to develop their vocabulary, empathy, curiosity and understanding of the wider world.

Throughout 2026, we have further strengthened our reading culture through our engagement with the National Year of Reading and Lancashire Book of the Year. These initiatives have given pupils opportunities to discover new authors and texts, share their opinions and develop their enthusiasm for reading beyond the classroom.
Reading engagement is recognised and rewarded every week, with pupils also celebrated for their commitment and progress at the end of each half-term. We want pupils to understand that reading is something we value and celebrate as a school community.

 

Reading in the Curriculum

Reading is not simply the responsibility of the English Department. We believe that every subject has a role to play in developing confident and successful readers.

All KS3 pupils receive dedicated reading lessons during curriculum time, where carefully selected texts are explored through meaningful real-life contexts and the lens of Catholic Social Teaching.

These lessons allow pupils to explore important social and ethical issues, make connections between texts and the world around them, and develop their understanding of the principles that underpin our school community.

Across the wider curriculum, teachers also support pupils to develop the subject-specific vocabulary, comprehension and disciplinary reading skills required to access increasingly challenging content.

 

Reading Intervention

We recognise that pupils arrive at secondary school with different reading experiences, levels of confidence and reading ages. Our approach therefore combines high expectations with robust and targeted intervention.

We use Sparx Reader and Fresh Start Phonics to provide additional support for pupils who require further help with reading fluency, comprehension and confidence. Our targeted approach ensures that reading difficulties do not become a barrier to accessing an ambitious curriculum.

Currently, 30% of pupils across the school access weekly reading intervention, with disadvantaged and SEND pupils prioritised. We carefully monitor the impact of this provision, with 28% of pupils accessing intervention, improving their reading age by at least nine months.

Every pupil also completes weekly Sparx Reader homework, helping to establish regular reading habits and encouraging pupils to take greater ownership of their reading beyond school.

 

Celebrating Reading

We believe that reading should be recognised, celebrated and rewarded.

Pupils' engagement with reading is recognised weekly, with further celebration at the end of each half-term. We celebrate not only reading ability and progress, but also effort, commitment and positive reading habits.

Through competitions, reading challenges and our wider reading initiatives, we aim to make reading an important and visible part of school life.

 

How Families can Support Reading

Parents and families play an important role in developing a positive reading culture. We encourage parents to take an interest in what their child is reading, talk about books and texts together and, wherever possible, make time for reading at home.

This could be reading independently, sharing a book together, discussing a news article or simply talking about a new word or idea your child has encountered.

Even a few minutes of reading and discussion each day can make a difference. Regular encouragement, praise and interest can help develop vocabulary, comprehension, confidence and, most importantly, a lifelong love of reading.

 

Our Reading Ambition

Our approach to reading is both ambitious and inclusive. We want pupils to experience the richness and enjoyment of great literature while developing the fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills they need to succeed across the curriculum.

Where pupils need additional support, we identify barriers and provide targeted intervention. Where pupils are already confident readers, we provide opportunities to broaden their reading experiences and engage with increasingly challenging texts.

Ultimately, our ambition is simple: Every pupil at All Saints’ will leave school as a confident reader who can access the world around them, engage with different perspectives and understand the lifelong opportunities that reading provides.