At Weston Secondary School, we value the power of reading and have ensured that it is an integral part of our school day. Four mornings a week, students in Years 7-10 take part in 20 minutes of reading with their Tutor, exploring a range of books to widen their cultural knowledge of the world around them and encourage a love of reading. Students are given an opportunity to read a variety of new and classic books, ranging from ‘Welcome to Nowhere’ by Elizabeth Laird to the much-loved classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens.

Not only does reading for twenty minutes each morning allow students to enjoy a wide range of texts, it also expands students’ vocabulary; supports with mental health and improves reading ages. Our students enjoy the calm atmosphere in the mornings, starting the day in a positive way.

As you walk through our corridors, you will find calm and focused students experiencing different worlds, meeting new characters and exploring exciting adventures through their chosen text. Tutors and students alike relish the opportunity to read a variety of books and, by the time students leave us at WSS, they will have read over 16 books and over 2 million words!

Students will also have the opportunity to read at home and on the go, using our new eLibrary. The app can be downloaded or read on any device that supports the internet, giving students access to hundreds of different books wherever they are. Login details and how to access the eLibrary will be given to your child very soon.

But that’s not all…watch this space to see what new and exciting events we have coming up for our students, like our upcoming ‘meet the author’ in November. We are excited for Year 7 to experience a streamed meet the author and Q and A session with Jeffrey Boakye who wrote the fantastic ‘Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs’ which The Guardian described as ‘Engaging and accomplished… perfectly judged for young readers.’.

How can you support your child’s reading?

• Ask about the book they are currently reading – what has happened so far? Who are the main characters? What might happen next?
• Model reading for pleasure at home – Looking for inspiration or need a new book? Visit our Book Swap Shelves in Reception or see our staff recommendations on the Recommended Reading

List.

• Encourage your child to read at home – we have well-stocked Book Swap Shelves in Reception; please feel free to take and/or leave books here.
• Visit our Book Swap Shelves – we have a range of books on our Book Swap shelves in reception, including those for students and adults. Students and guardians are welcome to take a book and/or leave books. Having a clear out? We welcome any second-hand books for any age or ability, please hand any in to our main reception.

Quotes from our students:

‘I enjoy being read to and having words that I don’t know explained to me’ Faith

‘Reading in the morning is calming’ Evie

‘I really enjoy following along whilst my tutor reads to us’ Wiktoria ‘I love reading a book at the start of the day as it helps me to get my mind working’ Belal

‘Reading in the morning creates a calm environment and starts the day off well’ Iqrar

‘I don’t really like reading aloud but I enjoy being read to by my tutor’ Edyta

‘I love the interesting way our tutor reads to us’ Aisha