In schools, reading is not an adjunct to the curriculum; it is the infrastructure. It is the mechanism through which students access every subject discipline. We know that when literacy is weak, curriculum access narrows. When it is strong, attainment rises across the board.
The evidence is unequivocal. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) reports that approximately 20% of 15-year-olds across member countries do not reach baseline reading proficiency, a threshold considered essential for full participation in further education and employment. In England, the Department for Education has shown that students who meet the expected standard in reading at Key Stage 2 are significantly more likely to achieve a Grade 5 or above in GCSE English and mathematics. Primary reading attainment is therefore not merely a primary benchmark; it is a reliable indicator of long-term academic trajectory.
Reading for pleasure is equally significant. Research from the National Literacy Trust demonstrates that children who read daily are up to twice as likely to achieve above-average reading outcomes as those who rarely read. Longitudinal evidence further suggests that reading for pleasure at age 10 is a stronger predictor of later academic success than parental education level. For us at The Abbey, the strategic implication is clear: frequency, fluency and engagement must remain central to literacy planning.
In classroom practice, the impact of sustained reading is tangible. A student who reads widely encounters millions more words annually than a reluctant reader, broadening vocabulary and strengthening background knowledge. Exposure to ambitious academic language through carefully selected texts sharpens written expression and supports analytical precision. Strong readers are therefore better equipped to infer, evaluate evidence and construct extended responses across disciplines, from theological reasoning in religious studies to hypothesis evaluation in science.
Text selection is therefore critical, particularly within an academically ambitious all-girls environment. Alongside rigorous non-fiction and disciplinary texts, literature that foregrounds intellectual curiosity, moral courage and female agency is especially powerful. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank offers historical insight, reflective voice and ethical complexity. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo introduces pupils to biographies of pioneering women across disciplines, reinforcing aspiration and intellectual ambition. Meanwhile, I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai provides a contemporary example of scholarship, resilience and advocacy. Such texts combine intellectual challenge with depth, ensuring engagement without compromising academic rigour.
At The Abbey Junior School, strong reading outcomes are the result of deliberate design. Girls are taught reading skills explicitly from Nursery upwards, beginning with a rigorous and accelerated approach to phonics that secures early fluency and accuracy. As they progress, comprehension strategies, vocabulary development and disciplinary literacy are taught systematically. Teachers model expert reading through structured read-aloud sessions and explicit “thinking aloud” to demonstrate inference and analytical processes. All staff, including myself, listen to pupils read individually, providing immediate feedback on fluency, expression and understanding, ensuring that every child is both supported and challenged.
Daily protected reading time guarantees sustained independent practice, and staff often read alongside pupils to model intellectual engagement. Our extensive and carefully curated library, led by Dr Mohan, alongside core taught texts selected by Ms Mockler, balances contemporary relevance with literary heritage, ensuring breadth, depth and aspiration.
Reading attainment drives whole-school outcomes. It expands opportunity, strengthens academic confidence and nurtures intellectual independence. In an academically ambitious school for girls, reading is more than a skill; it is the foundation upon which scholarship is built. If we are serious about excellence, it must remain at the very heart of our educational strategy, which I truly believe it is!
Beccy Newton, Junior School Head