“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” 

- Dr. Seuss

What is Reading for Pleasure?  

Reading for pleasure is an important part of both a child's educational and personal development (DfE, 2012). It opens new worlds for children and allows them to explore their own imagination and creativity through books they have freely chosen to read.   

At Holy Cross and All Saints, Reading for Pleasure is encouraged and supported in many ways, including:

Class Libraries  

Each class has a dedicated reading space which is looked after by a class librarian. The aim of the reading space is to create a buzz around a book or author, and various interactive elements allow children to do just that.

School Library

Our school library has recently been revamped and re-opened for the first time since COVID. A dedicated team of librarians from Years 5 and 6 are on hand each day to help Key Stage 2 children pick out new books that can be taken home and enjoyed. Our library, like class libraries, provides a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books, all of which have been chosen to support Reading For Pleasure.  

ERIC/DEAR Time

ERIC (Everyone Reading In Class), or DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) are times during the school day when pupils are encouraged to stop what they’re doing and take some time to read a book of their choice. 

Whole School Reading Events  

Throughout the school year, we undertake a number of whole-school reading events and days, including World Book Day, reading breakfasts and talks at Eccles Library. Most recently, we have all read and created work around ‘Change Sings’, with each class using the poem as a base for creative writing and artwork.