Today a reader, 

Tomorrow a leader!

- Margaret Fuller 

At St Helen's CE Primary School, we have a rich literary spine that is made up of a variety of reading schemes. Each book is colour banded. The colour band indicates the graded reading level. This helps our children to select the right books for their reading ability. It also helps staff to audit books and distribute various levels across the school. Reading schemes, guided reading texts, picture books, non-fiction and general fiction can all be banded. This means that books suitable for very early readers can be graded as can texts for fluent readers, ensuring that children experience success as they progress from one level to the next. St Helen's uses a combination of the following reading schemes: Dandelion Launchers, Oxford Reading Tree, Collins, Tree Tops and Project X which include a wealth of text types such as stories, playscripts, poetry and non-fiction. Children are assessed in their reading age and placed on the most appropriate reading band where they will read books from the Oxford Reading Tree and Collins.

Children are expected to read at home 4 times per week, regardless of age or reading ability. Children are encouraged to read on a daily basis and in doing so can work towards their reading certificates awarding in Celebration Assemblies. Our reading certificates start from 30 reads with some children reaching 330 reads by the end of the academic year! 

Reading for Pleasure 

At St Helen's we encourage a love of reading throughout our curriculum as well as by having designated time in the school day protected for reading for enjoyment. 

All children from EYFS to Year 6, are read to daily by their teacher.

The children help choose a class book that is read to them daily for 10-15 minutes either at the end of each school day or straight after lunch. 

Children at St Helen's report that they find this relaxing, enjoyable and calming. 

We are very lucky to have a school library with a range of fiction, non-fiction and graphic novel texts as well as every classroom having their own reading corner. 

Reading corners are themed and children have the opportunity to access, read and relax in them throughout the week. 

In KS1, children have a vast choice of books in their classroom reading corners that they can also pick from to read for their own enjoyment throughout the week. 

In KS2, children are allowed to choose 'tray books' from their classroom reading corner which they are given opportunity to read throughout the week for their own pleasure and relaxation. 

You are never alone

when lost in the magic

of a good book. 

-Marie Lu