Newton Abbot College – building a reading culture
‘For every pupil in our care then, we are beholden to fill their day with the richness of countless books, helping them access a wealth of powerful reading experiences, so that they can be buoyed by the world of imagination and knowledge offered to us by possessing the capability to read successfully.’
Alex Quigley, 2020
At Newton Abbot College we are aware there has been much research done into the clear links between a young person’s ability to read, their enthusiasm for reading, and their academic and wider success. Therefore, it is our aim that Newton Abbot College becomes a ‘reading college’ where students and staff are proud to think of themselves as readers.
There are three strands to our approach:
- Strand 1: teaching the mechanics of reading
- Strand 2: reading for pleasure and leisure
- Strand 3: reading for knowledge
Research suggests that reading for pleasure can promote better health and wellbeing, support young people to build social connections and relationships with others, and is associated with a range of factors that help increase the chances of improved outcomes.
To encourage our students to read for pleasure, we have designed a tutor reading programme that will span many cultures, time periods, topics, perspectives, and narrative styles. During tutor time, students will hear their tutors read a challenging, interesting texts that has been selected to inspire and engage, compelling us all to consider the world from different perspectives and through diverse voices.
Each year group has their own suite of texts providing discussion points and opportunities to ignite our students’ curiosity about the world around them. Every tutor group within the year teams 7-10 will read the same book simultaneously, meaning students collaboratively develop their cultural capital through shared reading experiences. Through our shared reading experience we will encourage students to reflect on important moments in history, empathise with characters of different ages and ethnicities, experience a range of genres and indulge in an array of writing styles.
Being given an opportunity to hear great books being brought to life by enthusiastic readers is both a privilege and a joy; we hope our love of storytelling will inspire our students to read widely and broadly so that they can learn about the world around them.
The texts we will read are:
Year 7
Dreadwood
October, October
Boy 87
Year 8
The Graveyard Book
Girl of Ink and Stars
Salt to the Sea
Year 9
Wink
The Boy Who Steals Houses
The Things We Leave Behind
Year 10
The House on the Cerulean Sea
Lord of the Flies
The Hate U Give