Our goal each year is to create a culture where reading is seen as not only something that we all do for pleasure, but also an activity that can help us to succeed in all subjects.

If students struggle to read, then the texts they encounter at secondary school can be off-putting for them and then, understandably, result in low levels of enjoyment and ultimately demotivation. Evidence has also suggested that students require a reading age of 16 to be able to access the language and vocabulary used in their GCSE papers. This creates a vicious cycle: as students struggle and don’t enjoy it, they read less – and because they read less, they don’t progress and then find that they struggle to acquire the necessary knowledge in many other subjects too. Wellbeing and behaviour can also be affected as a result of this.

It is, therefore, vital that we help students not just with their reading skill, but their perception of it as an enjoyable activity. Research suggests that reading for pleasure makes the most difference to students’ progress and attainment. A study conducted by the National literacy Trust found that when students enjoy reading and read for at least an hour, they have a greater chance of exceeding their attainment targets. This applies to specific skills, as well as overall attainment in reading – for example, comprehension, vocabulary and grammar.

To support students with their reading, I am really excited to launch our new BCS Digital Library, which allows students free access to over 2000 ebooks.  Please see below instructions on our to set up and use the digital library.

Your support in encouraging reading  at home, as ever, is much appreciated.

If you have any questions about our reading schemes, please contact Mr Adam Warrington.