At Sneinton St. Stephen's, learning to read is only part of the story. We want every child to become a reader: someone who chooses to read, talks about books and discovers the joy that reading can bring.

We want every child to discover books, authors and genres that excite them; to talk about what they read; to make their own choices; and to develop a reading identity that stays with them beyond primary school.

Reading for Pleasure has been a sustained priority at Sneinton St. Stephen's for many years.

“There is a strong commitment to reading as the ‘heartbeat of the school’.”
Ofsted, 2024

A community of readers

Reading is part of the everyday life of our school.

Children have protected time to enjoy books, hear adults read aloud and visit our school library. Carefully developed reading spines introduce children to high-quality and diverse literature across the curriculum, while our classroom reading spaces create places where books can be discovered, shared and enjoyed. 

But a reading community is about more than providing books. Children need people to share them with.

Our staff continually develop their own knowledge of children's literature, exploring new authors, genres and texts so that they can talk enthusiastically about books and make thoughtful recommendations to children. 

Reading becomes something we talk about, recommend and enjoy together.

Knowing our children as readers

Every child has their own reading identity.

As children move through Sneinton St. Stephen's, staff take time to understand what they enjoy, what they choose to read and how they see themselves as readers. Book talk, reading rivers, recommendations and conversations help us discover children's interests and introduce them to what they might enjoy next. 

Children's voices shape our reading culture too. They vote for class books, recommend titles, review what they have read and request particular books, authors and genres for our libraries. 

Our pupil reading leaders take this further, helping to review our libraries, recommend new books and champion reading for others. 

Every child can become a reader

Not every child finds reading easy and not every child begins by seeing themselves as a reader.

We pay particular attention to children who may be less engaged with recreational reading, combining expert reading support with opportunities to discover books that connect with their interests.

Our specialist provision, including Reading Recovery and targeted book clubs, develops both the skills to read and the motivation to read. We look closely at children's engagement and reading identity so that support can be adapted to the individual child. 

The ambition is the same for everyone: for every child to experience the pleasure, confidence and possibilities that being a reader can bring.

Reading with families

Families are an important part of our reading community.

From joining Sneinton St. Stephen's, we help families discover ways to enjoy books together. Our Reading Cafés, family workshops, library drop-ins, book swaps, Family Breakfasts, reading newsletters and celebrations create opportunities for children and adults to read, talk about books and discover new texts together. 

Reading also brings our wider community together through events such as our Summer Reading Festival and Reading Celebration Assemblies. 

“The school has a wonderful focus on reading, and we love book swaps, family breakfasts and celebrating all things reading related.
Reading and a love of books makes Sneinton very special to us.”

Parent Survey

Learning from others and sharing what we know.

Our Reading for Pleasure journey has developed through research, collaboration and sustained professional learning.

Sneinton St. Stephen's has worked with Reading Recovery, Literacy Volunteers and the Open University's Reading for Pleasure Research and Practice Coalition. Our staff have participated in and led professional learning with other schools.

Our contribution has extended beyond Sneinton St. Stephen's. Our Reading Lead has led training across Transform Trust and for schools nationally, hosted a regional OU/UKLA Reading Teachers Group and co-authored a chapter on building reading communities in the Open University publication Reading Teachers. Our work has also been case-studied by the Department for Education and contributed to the Reading Framework. 

In 2024, Sneinton St. Stephen's hosted a national Open University Reading for Pleasure conference, with one delegate describing us as:

“…a school that clearly lives and breathes reading.”

Reading for Pleasure Platinum Award

In 2024, Sneinton St. Stephen's was awarded the UKLA/Open University Reading for Pleasure Quality Mark — Platinum, the highest level of the award. 

Independent moderators recognised the sustained impact of our reading culture on children, families, staff knowledge and Reading for Pleasure practice, alongside our targeted work with children who are less engaged with reading and our contribution to the wider community. 

For us, the award recognises a journey that continues. We continue to learn from research and from others, develop our practice and share what we have learnt beyond Sneinton St. Stephen's.