We are really passionate about reading at Weston. It is massively beneficial for children to adopt the habit of reading for pleasure for a variety of reasons. Some of the benefits are academic, but their mental health and ability to 'switch off' is enhanced as well.

Reading together is a wonderful way to build shared interests between parents and their children and to share relaxed time together which will be fondly remembered by all concerned.

The children really enjoy being read to right up to Year 6 and this can be a way of enabling them to access texts which might otherwise be a bit too challenging for them.

We are actively encouraging reading for pleasure in school in a number of ways: by creating a display sharing adults' enthusiasm for children's books that they know and love; by displaying the text being read by each class on the door to their room; by participating in the Reading Gladiators programme (this is for some Year 6 children at present but we hope to expand this in the future) and by creating opportunities for quiet reading during lunchtime. There are an unprecedented number of books in school now and of adults who are very happy to talk about reading.

We are also conducting surveys in to the school community's reading habits so that we can see where there is scope for supporting them.

Our bookmarks were specifically designed to support adults when they are sharing a book with a child by giving them examples of the most helpful type of questions to be asking at different development stages.

We are seeking to involve parents in building enthusiasm for reading so please do consider participating in the reading survey http://bit.ly/2PPMwbO or by completing a postcard for our display. The details of how to get involved are shared in Mr Connor's letter which is in the Newsletters section of the website (all parents will have a link texted to them). We are also sharing a document which explains the benefits of reading in the same way.