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The Joy of Reading for Pleasure
Reading for pleasure is a vital part of a child’s development, helping to foster curiosity, imagination, and a lifelong love of learning. In this article, we hear from the headteacher at Brockley Primary School about how they place reading for pleasure at the heart of the curriculum and the initiatives that support a strong reading culture.
A Commitment to Reading for Pleasure
At Brockley Primary School, we are proud to place reading for pleasure at the heart of our curriculum. We understand that reading is not only a key to academic success but also a doorway to creativity, imagination, and understanding the world around us. It is this belief that drives our commitment to ensuring every child at Brockley develops a genuine love of reading, both in school and beyond.
A Partnership with the English Hub
One of the key ways we’ve been able to elevate our approach to reading is through our partnership with the English Hub in Sheffield. This collaboration has been invaluable in shaping our reading strategies and supporting our goal of fostering a reading culture that thrives across the school. Through their expert guidance, we’ve been able to enhance our reading curriculum, implement effective teaching practices, and ensure that every child has access to the right books at the right time.
Our work with the English Hub has empowered our staff with the tools and techniques to make reading a more enjoyable and meaningful experience for all students. We’ve been able to establish a comprehensive framework for reading development that incorporates both the essentials of phonics and a focus on reading for pleasure.
Creating a Reading Culture
We believe that the key to developing lifelong readers is to create an environment where reading is fun and rewarding. From the moment children walk through the door, they are surrounded by a rich variety of books and resources designed to ignite their imaginations. Our classrooms are filled with books for every taste, from picture books to more complex novels, ensuring that every pupil finds something that sparks their interest.
In addition to classroom reading time, we host a variety of engaging reading initiatives, such as book clubs and regular library visits, where children can explore new genres and discover different authors. Our library is regularly updated with exciting new titles, ensuring that pupils always have something fresh to dive into. And, of course, we encourage peer recommendations, as nothing inspires reading more than hearing about a great book from a friend.
Looking Ahead
Reading at Brockley Primary isn’t just about the books we read—it's about the culture we create around reading. Our ultimate goal is to help children see reading not as a task, but as an enjoyable activity that opens up a world of adventure, learning, and growth. Whether it’s enjoying a picture book in Reception or delving into a challenging novel in Year 6, we want every child to leave Brockley with a love for reading that lasts a lifetime.
We’re excited about the future of reading at Brockley and will continue to work closely with the English Hub and other partners to refine our approach. As we move forward, we will keep encouraging our pupils to read widely, explore new ideas, and most importantly—read for pleasure.
With many thanks to Caroline Rodgers for writing this article.
Caroline is the Headteacher at Brockley Primary School and a member of the EuHu teacher board.
