Fostering a Love of Reading: How Our Trust’s Primary Curriculum Drives Success and Growth

We are incredibly proud of the Year 6 cohort of 2023/24 who achieved very well across the board. We are particularly thrilled with our results for Reading, where collectively across our five primary schools – Brocks Hill, Broom Leys, Hallam Fields, Highcliffe and Riverside – 80% of pupils either achieved or exceeded the KS2 Age-Related Expectations; this was 6% above the national average.

These outcomes are not coincidental, though. They are the result of creating an immersive and engaging Trust-wide reading curriculum, delivered by expert teachers, that stimulates pupils’ interests and encourages them to read for pleasure.

“I am so proud of the dedication and commitment shown by all our staff in fostering a love of reading,” explained Hannah Harris, Primary Director of English.

“It has made a significant impact which has been reflected in the SATs reading results.

“Our children's love of reading, and their reading progress, is a testament to our shared belief in the importance of reading for pleasure and the belief in the potential of every child as a reader.”

The curriculum has been carefully structured to expose pupils to a broad range of texts, varying in both style and genre. Consequently, they are able to access fiction and non-fiction books as well as a range of poetry; the variety on offer means that our pupils are always able to enjoy books outside of their own preference.

A special effort is also made to provide a diverse collection of texts; this way children can see themselves represented in books, whether this be through characters, authors or settings. We are also flexible with the books that we promote:

“We ensure the books in our curriculum are popular choices amongst our children,” Hannah explains.

“If they haven't enjoyed a book we replace it with something that they will enjoy. We have to make a positive impact on their love of reading and respond if we are not.”

As children progress through the year groups, we appropriately advance the reading list to ensure they are positively challenged and mature into confident and capable readers who can apply their skills across multiple other subjects.

When pupils first join us in EYFS and Key Stage One, for example, they are treated to visually stimulating picture books such as The Girl Who Planted Trees by Caryl Hart and How The Camel Got His Hump by Rudyard Kipling. These introduce younger children to basic vocabulary and develops their cognitive skills such as inferring and predicting.

Then, in KS2, we introduce longer novels to broaden their vocabulary and expose pupils to more complex plot structures. We incorporate a mixture of contemporary and classic; The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is a popular choice, whilst modern texts, such as The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, are also positively received. Reading such texts also strengthens their writing skills; it stimulates their imagination, allowing them to craft creative and interesting stories in English lessons.

Our strong primary reading curriculum is further enhanced by multiple activities that we host outside of the classroom. Throughout all our schools, we run book sales, trips to local libraries and competitions. We regularly host Reading Raffles where pupils can win prizes as a reward for reading at home.

Earlier this year, we even organised a virtual visit from acclaimed children’s author Marie Basting. Year 3 pupils were able to ask her questions about her career and quiz her about her latest book – My Family And Other Romans – which formed a brilliant cross-curricular link to their History topic of Ancient Rome. You can find out more about this wonderful event here.

The emphasis isn’t only on the pupil, though, as at Lionheart we encourage our teachers to be readers themselves and model a love of reading. Many of them actively read children’s literature so that they are able to suggest recommendations and engage in discussions about books. We ensure they pick exciting books to share with their classes simply for the pleasure of reading.

In a society heavily dominated by other, more technological, forms of entertainment, we are incredibly proud of the steps we have taken to promote a passion for books and reading throughout our primary schools.

“This is down the skillset, dedication and relentless drive of our teachers,” explains Hannah.

“It's down to our teachers knowing their children as individual readers and doing their utmost to drive standards and ensure progress.

She continues: “They address the gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding and ensure reading is held in the high regard it deserves.

“It is a non-negotiable. It's not just down to the reading lessons they teach but also their encouragement of reading for pleasure.”

The journey does not end there, though, with many of our pupils continuing their Lionheart journey by joining one of our secondary schools. Here, the core objectives remain the same and the emphasis and enjoyment of reading – and the many positive benefits it has – are further stressed.

The foundations laid at primary school not only empowers our young people academically, but also help to establish a life-long appreciation for literature.

10 Reading Tips