Reading

At Church Hill Primary School, we place reading for pleasure at the very heart of our school. We recognise that reading is not only essential for academic success but also helps children feel connected to the wider world, understand their own identity, develop empathy for others and explore different perspectives. While we explicitly teach children how to read through high-quality phonics and reading instruction, our approach ensures that reading remains enjoyable, meaningful and motivating. All staff working with children who are at the early stages of learning to read are trained to accurately match reading books to each child’s level of ability, providing just the right amount of challenge while ensuring that children can understand, enjoy and talk about what they have read. Alongside this, adults model themselves as enthusiastic readers, sharing stories, recommending books and celebrating reading across the school. By combining expert teaching with a culture that truly values books and storytelling, we aim to nurture confident, capable readers who develop a genuine love of reading and become readers for life.

Below are a few of the many ways in which we promote reading for pleasure:

• Regular trips to the library for our Reception and Year 1 classes
• Book buddies – the last Thursday/Friday of every month, Early Years and KS1 meet with their KS2 reading buddies and share books.
• Secret reader – parents share their favourite books with their children’s class.
• Author visits – nothing gets the children more excited than meeting an author in the flesh.
• Book recommendations from staff and children.