Reading
Reading in the Curriculum
Reading is at the heart of the curriculum at Bury Church of England High School. Our comprehensive and ambitious reading curriculum empowers students to explore diverse perspectives, unlock new concepts, think critically and question deeply.
As part of the Bishop Fraser Trust, our aim is that 85% of students read at or above their reading age by the time they leave school. An ambitious target, in light of the current national picture, but one that we are inspired and committed to meet moving forward.
To meet this target, we have ensured that reading is central to our curriculum and aims to inspire a love of reading in all our students that extends beyond the classroom. Our multi-faceted approach includes:
- Daily reading time - all students in a year group read the same book in a shared experience for staff and students.
- A focus on reading within each subject.
- A comprehensive library available to students at break and lunch times with high-quality, diverse reading materials.
- A focus on explicit identification of subject-specific vocabulary in the curriculum.
- Pre-teaching of tier 2 and 3 words before learning of new knowledge in lessons.
- All teaching staff are trained in effectively reading to students to improve reading ages.
- Lexonik advance and Lexonik Leap programmes are used to support students who need reading interventions in order to meet their chronological reading age.
- Blue Peter Reading badges are earned in Year 7 to encourage reading beyond the curriculum.
- Year 6 transition text is promoted to ensure a shared reading experience for all our new students.
- Sparx Reader is the English Homework platform for all students.
By cultivating strong reading habits, we believe we can empower our students with the skills, confidence, and curiosity they need to thrive across the curriculum and in life beyond school. Reading is more than just a skill; it is a gateway to opportunity, imagination and lifelong learning - and we are determined to ensure every student leaves us with that gateway wide open.
The booklet below give a comprehensive overview of our ambitious reading programme.
Our Ambitious Reading Programme
Daily Read Aloud Programme
At Bury Church, we have developed a culture of reading for both our staff and students. We dedicate thirty minutes a day in our curriculum time for our students to read for pleasure with their form tutor. All students in each year group read the same books. This shared experience promotes a wealth of rich discussions and promotes reading for pleasure for all our students.
Our comprehensive reading programme for each year group:
- has links to our school values of ‘let your light shine’.
- has cultural significance for our students.
- focuses on interesting subject matter.
- includes a diverse selection of authors.
- provides lexical challenge.
- is age appropriate.
- develops links across the entire curriculum.
Our reading curriculum entitles our students to:
- hear a range of diverse voices.
- travel around the world and experience different cultures.
- explore morality and resilience in range of contexts.
- travel across time from 1818 to 2016.
- access highly regarded, culturally significant, award-winning texts.
Our main reading programme books are shown below, however we read beyond this through collaboration with other schools in the Bishop Fraser Trust.
Year 6 Transition Text
We encourage all our Y6 students, joining us in September, to read a ‘Wrinkle in time’ by Madeleine L'Engle.
A 'Wrinkle in Time' is a science fiction novel that follows Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe as they travel through space and time to rescue Meg's father from an evil force called IT. They are guided by three mysterious beings: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who. The story blends science, fantasy, and themes of love, bravery, and the battle between good and evil, as the characters confront their fears and learn about the importance of self-acceptance and courage.
The book is embedded into our curriculum at the start of Y7 to ensure a shared experience for all students.
School Library
All students at our school have access to the library at break times and lunch times. Our dedicated student librarians, supported by the school librarian, take a proactive lead in running the library; ensuring library stock is organised and library usage data is collected and analysed.
Every two weeks, KS3 students in English have one lesson in the library where they are encouraged to read books of their choosing or take part in a group reading activity. Lessons are designed to nurture a love of reading in all our students.
Sparx Reader - English Homework Platform
All students have access to Sparx reader as a homework platform. Students are offered fantastic books set at their reading level from a wide range of texts. Homework tasks are also personalised, so all students can experience regular success in reading.
World Book Day
World book day is a significant event in the life of Bury Church of England. Throughout the day, teachers share their favourite books with our students to share their enthusiasm for a love of reading.
Below shows a staff picture from World Book Day 2025. It was a special day in our school where we celebrated our 'reading for pleasure' culture.
Disciplinary literacy
At Bury Church of England High School, we believe that all teachers are teachers of literacy. We have trained our teachers in how to effectively read with students, how to develop students who can use a wide range of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary and have identified key vocabulary that needs to be explicitly taught within the curriculum.
As part of the Bury Church lesson habits, teachers pre-teach vocabulary using guidance from the EEF and Tom Sherrington’s Walkthru’s.
Teachers use the following to guidance to pre-teach vocabulary:
- Specify and define the key tier 2 and 3 vocabulary that is the threshold to new learning
- Provide definitions in terms that the students know
- Say the words explicitly identifying the syllables – chorally/in pairs/cold call
- Students read the words embedded in a sentence/text
- Students practice using the words either verbally or in writing
