At St. Anselm’s College, we prioritise both ambitious academic reading ,

as well as reading for pleasure.

We recognise the powerful impact reading has on student wellbeing, as

well as its enriching effect on academic achievement.

To this end, reading is embedded into school life so that our students are

given every opportunity to develop a passion and curiosity for the written word.

All Key Stage 3 students engage in weekly homework using the online reading software Bedrock . Students complete a range of activities which help to develop their all-round reading skills. Achievement points and bags of personalised sweets are awarded to the weekly winners.

Bedrock tutorial video

This year, the English department purchased over 600 new books and introduced them into Form Time.

Each form in Years 7-10 have designated reading books that they read collectively twice a week.

These books were chosen by the students and include a range of genres: crime, thriller, survival & humour.

Books are swapped on a carousel once completed.

A group of English Language and Literature Sixth Form students have volunteered their time this year to

mentor Year 7 students, helping them develop their reading skills.

With the added bribe of breakfast treats, the ‘buddies’ have enjoyed reading John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas together during Monday registrations in the Library.

The College’s Great Reads recommended reading lists are a fantastic selection of titles which cater for all needs and likes. These are available from the Library and your English teacher, as well as at the links below.

Year 7    Year 8    Year 9

NASA, Chilean wildfires, the Israel-Palestine conflict, ultramarathons, climate change, US politics, social media and bees.

An eclectic mix, but these are just some of the topics explored in this year’s Beyond the Subject Form Time reading texts.

Each week, a different Head of Department sets a reading task for students in each Key Stage, focusing on a topical issue related to their subject. These texts have been taken from a range of publications, including: National Geographic, BBC News, The Guardian, Teen Science Journal, The Independent and Financial Times.

The English department has been on its travels this year.

In January, GCSE students enjoyed a ‘Poetry Live’ performance, including guest speakers Simon Armitage and John Agard, at the Manchester Opera House.

In March, we travelled down to Stratford-Upon-Avon – the birthplace of William Shakespeare – for two theatrical performances with Years 7&8.

Also in March, we welcomed ‘Initiate Theatre’ to the College stage for an interactive performance of Macbeth to our Year 10 & 11s.

The English & History Departments, along with a large group of intrepid Year 9s, are crossed the Channel in June for a 3-day tour of historic World War 1 sites, including museums, memorials and the trenches of Ypres and Passchendaele. The Year 9s studied ‘Literature of War’ last term, and will be tackling the ‘Power and Conflict’ poetry anthology next year, so this trip was both exciting and academically enriching.

If you are on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter), click on the links below, and Like or Follow the English Department.

This Summer saw the first edition of the ‘Reading Matters’ newsletter published.

We know that not all children read for pleasure – they might find it difficult or think that it’s boring.

Below are links to websites and videos which include top tips to help young people enjoy reading more.

Links:

How to teach your kids to love reading

Top tips for engaging reluctant readers

What if my child doesn’t like reading?

Ask an expert: What is your advice to parents of struggling readers?