Reading
Find out why reading skills are so important to us and take on our reading challenge!
Reading is a key skill for pupils to gain access to a life of choice and opportunity. Our goal is to ensure all pupils are proficient readers and enthusiastic about books.
Proficient Reading and Phonics
Reading is a crucial skill for all pupils to gain access to a life of choice and opportunity. Our goal is to ensure all pupils are proficient readers and enthusiastic about books. We take pride in our outstanding early teaching of phonics and follow the Read Write Inc programme. The phonics screen check results of 2023/24 show that 100% of our children passed. This success is supported by a carefully planned phonics programme which starts in Nursery and continues through to Year 2. On graduating from the phonics programme, pupils demonstrate a high level of reading fluency (90wpm). We believe that fluency is crucial for success in school and for fostering a life-long love of reading.
Book Club and Libraries
Pupils then transition from a phonics programme to our Book Club, which is centred around a key text and is taught until Year 8. Being an adept reader requires knowledge, a broad vocabulary, and a high level of reading fluency. We ensure access to high-quality books that reflect our diverse society. We have four libraries in the school, all well-stocked with a broad variety of books. For Phase 1 and 2, we have a librarian to ensure smooth running of the libraries and encourage pupils’ love for books.
Reading Initiatives
We participated in the Get Hounslow Reading Initiative and have trained our staff in it. We introduce the Reach Reading Challenge in Year 7, encouraging pupils to read 16 diverse books before they turn 16. The Big Read happens in Year 12, helping pupils access more academically challenging texts, particularly non-fiction.
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Vocabulary Development
It’s important to us that our pupils have a rich vocabulary enabling them to access various texts. This requires a dual approach – all teachers need to support pupils to expand their vocabulary and understand what vocabulary should be taught. We have training on dual-coding, examples and non-examples, and reading strategies to support teachers’ ability to teach vocabulary effectively.
Support for Speech and Language Difficulties
We aim to help pupils with speech and language difficulties through careful intervention and clear links between these and their in-class teaching. We emphasise teaching Tier 2 words alongside specific Tier 3 words. We employ a full-time in-house Speech and Language Therapist to aid in many areas of children’s development, including reading.
Assessments and Interventions
We use reading age tests from Key Stage 2 upwards to identify pupils who are significantly behind. This is in addition to the PIRA tests in Key Stage 2. From these tests, we identify approximately 10% of pupils in each year who require intervention or would benefit from additional assessments, such as the LASS test. This helps us to identify specific interventions such as Switch-On Reading, Reading Plus or Flash Academy (EAL specific).
The Reading Challenge
These are books that every child should have the chance to read.
We would encourage your child to read as many books from this list throughout the year. See how many you can read!
Use the buttons to skip to the right age group…
Reception
My Hair by Hannah Lee
FIve Minutes Peace by Jill Murphy
The Itchy- saurus by Rosie Wellesley
The Smartest Giant In Town by Julia Donaldson
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Errol’s Garden by Gillian Hibbs
We Are Family by Patricia Hegarty
Amazing by Steve Antony
Hairy Maclary From Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
It’s Raining! It’s Pouring! We’re Exploring by Polly Peters
The Cookie by Kath Grimshaw
The Pirates Are Coming! by John Condon
Is It A Mermaid? by Candy Gourlay
Lulu’s First Day by Anna McQuinn
Follow Your Dreams Little One by Vashti Harrison
Dinosaurs And All That Rubbish by Michael Foreman
A Day At The Zoo: Hattie and Friends by Lesley Berrington
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Year 1
The Cat in the Hat by Dr Suess
The Perfect Shelter by Clare Helen Welsh
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Funny bones by Allan and Janet Ahlberg
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Julian at the Wedding by Jessica Love
I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
Look Up! by Nathan Bryon
Billy and the Beast by Nadia Shireen
Shu Lin’s Grandpa by Matt Goodfellow and Yu Rong
Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake
Peace At Last by Jill Murphy
The Rabbit that belongs to Emily
Brown by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton
Splash by Claire Cashmore
The Mystery of the Golden Pyramid by Adela Norean
Year 2
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Here we are by Oliver Jeffers
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Pirate Mums by Jodie Lancet-Grant and Lydia Corry
Wanda’s Words Got Stuck by Lucy Rowland
Hot Dog by Sophie Corrigan
Pablo’s Feelings by Pablo
Beegu by Alexis Deacon
What Happened to You? by James Catchpole
The Invisible by Tom Percival
What the Elephant Heard by Charlotte Guillain
Count by Melvin Burgess
Leonora Bolt: Deep Sea Calamity by Lucy Brandt
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Mr Skip by Michael Morpurgo
Isadora Moon Goes on Holiday by Harriet Muncaster
George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl
Year 3
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch
The Jolly Roger and Pirate Piper by Jonny Duddle
The Journey by Francesca Sanna
The Dragon Machine by Helen Ward
Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne
The Creakers by Tom Fletcher
The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Butterfly Club by Jacqueline Wilson
The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd
Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gang: The Amsterdam Adventure by Paul O’Grady
The Hatmakers By Tamzin Merchant
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian
The Magic Faraway Treeby Enid Blyton
Sam Wu Is Not Afraid Of Ghosts by Kevin & Katie Tsang
Anisha Accidental Detective by Serena Patel
Mayhem Mission by Burhana Islam
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Year 4
The Paddington Series by Michael Bond
Michael Rosen’s A to Z: the best children’s poetry from Agard to Zephaniah edited by Michael Rosen
Sad Book by Michael Rosen
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
Stig of the Dump by Clive King
The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis
Alien In The Jam Factory by Chrissie Sains
Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City by Rob Biddulph
Good News: Why the World is Not as Bad as You Think by Rashmi Sirdeshpande
The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo
Theseus and the Minotaur by David Orme and Wendy Body
The Diamond Brothers series by Anthony Horowitz
I Am Not A Label by Cerrie Burnell
A Dark, Dark, Tale by Ruth Brown
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Year 5
Clockwork by Phillip Pullman
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier
Five Children and It by E Nesbit
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
Can You See Me by Libby Scott
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Goodnight MisterTom by Michelle Magorian
Dragon Mountain by Katie Tsang & Kevin Tsang
There’s A Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom by Louis Sacher
Runaway Robot by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Holesby Louis Sachar
I am Malalaby Malala Yousafzai
Year 6
High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson
Patina by Jason Reynolds
Lightning Chase Me Home by Amber Lee Dodd
Amari and The Night Brothers by BB Alston
Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell
Murder Most Unlady like by Robin Stevens
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell
Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman
The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan
The Secret of Haven Point by Lisette Auton
Running on Empty by S.E. Durrant
Sky Dancer by Gill Lewis
Tin Boy by Steve Cole
Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce
Perfectly Imperfect Stories by Leo Potion
Black and British: A short, essential history by David Olusoga
A Kind Of Spark by Elle McNicoll
Year 7
The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
One by Sarah Crossan
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan
Gone by Michael Grant
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
The Crossing by Manjeet Mann
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu
Liccle Bit by Alex Wheatle
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson
Year 8
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Help by Katherine Stockett
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
The World of Norm by Jonathan Meres
One Day by David Nicholls
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Race for the Lost Keystone by Val Rutt
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson-Burnett
Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian
The Magician by Lev Grossman
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
Sunny by Jason Reynolds
The Owl Service by Alan Garner
Outcast of Redwall by Brian Jacques
Year 9
Pigeon English
A Pale View of Hills
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Moonrise by Sarah Crossan
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Beyond the Deepwoods by Steward Riddell
My Name Is Leon by Kit De Waal
The Wind Singer by William Nicholson
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Set in Stone by Linda Newberry
Sabriel by Garth Nix
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
Year 10
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes
Empire of the Sun by J G Ballard
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
A Room With A View by E M Forster
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Year 11
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
1984 by George Orwell
Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga
We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Disgrace by J M Coetzee
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Year 12
That Reminds Me by Derek Owusu
The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon
The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K Dick
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Small Island by Andrea Levy
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
The Skeleton Key by Erin I Kelly
Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguch
Year 13
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle
The Long Song by Andrea Levy
Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Just Us by Claudia Rankine
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Free and Equal by Daniel Chandler
After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwarz
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie