Reading at Hooton Pagnell All Saints
We LOVE Reading at HP
"Really enjoy the recommended reads." Parent February 2022
School Reading Lead: Mrs H. Thorpe
Our Vision & Intent
At Hooton Pagnell All Saints, we pride ourselves on being a reading school. We believe that reading opens the door to learning: a child who reads widely and often becomes a confident and skilled reader, capable of accessing more challenging texts. A child who engages with challenging material develops their knowledge, understanding, and curiosity, laying the foundation for lifelong learning.
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Our reading curriculum nurtures curiosity, independence, respect and collaboration, reflecting our Christian values. Pupils are encouraged to explore a wide range of texts, celebrate diverse perspectives, and reflect on ideas and experiences that broaden their understanding of the world. Through reading, pupils develop the knowledge, confidence and skills they need to flourish in their futures as thoughtful, informed, and empathetic individuals.
We aim to provide a reading-rich environment in which every child can develop a love of books and reading, fostering enjoyment, comprehension, and critical thinking.
Implementation​
Our reading curriculum is carefully structured to ensure progression across the school. From the early stages to the upper key stage, pupils develop the skills needed to:
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Decode and recognise words confidently and fluently.
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Read with understanding, expression, and enjoyment.
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Apply comprehension strategies such as prediction, inference, summarising and questioning.
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Develop a love of reading across a wide range of genres, authors, and cultures.
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Make connections between reading and other areas of the curriculum.
Pupils experience a variety of reading opportunities, including guided reading, whole-class reading, individual reading, and reading within other subjects. This progression ensures that pupils build strong foundations while continually challenging themselves with increasingly complex texts.
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Lesson Structure
Reading lessons at Hooton Pagnell All Saints combine direct teaching, discussion, and independent practice. Lessons typically include:
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Shared reading of high-quality texts with teacher modelling and discussion.
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Guided reading sessions focusing on comprehension, vocabulary and reading strategies.
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Opportunities for independent reading to develop fluency and stamina.
"My child does absolutely love reading and is making fantastic progress thanks to the hard work of the staff at Hooton." Parent, October 2022
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Cross-curricular reading activities that allow pupils to apply skills in different contexts.
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Reflection and discussion about themes, characters, and ideas, encouraging pupils to think critically and empathetically
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Teachers ensure that lessons are engaging and supportive, encouraging pupils to express opinions, ask questions, and explore the meaning and impact of texts.
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Novel Study
In Adventurers and Navigators (Year 3, 4, 5 and 6), the majority of our learning in English stems from our class novels or other Vibrant and curiosity-sparking stimuli. Pathfinders (Year 1 and 2) usually begin novel study when they have secured their phonics knowledge.
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We recognise the power and opportunity created from reading engaging texts, which we always choose with great care. It is human nature to love a good story; our aim is to excite and engage our learners in their reading whilst helping them to develop reading comprehension skills.
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The main benefits of novel study for us are (in no particular order):​​
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Engagement and excitement for learning (at the end of a session, we want to leave the class wanting more);
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Expanding reading skills (including word recognition and retrieval, but focussing mainly on inference skills and locating evidence to back up our ideas);
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Improving speaking and listening skills (we love having intelligent conversations and debates about the themes we come across in books);
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Increasing knowledge of language and vocabulary (we hardly ever leave a word or phrase unexplored);
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Developing social skills (we learn how to empathise with the characters in our book, often putting ourselves in their shoes);
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Exposing pupils to other cultures, periods of history or simply circumstances outside of their own (we believe that a good novel can open the door to all of this).
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We are currently reading...
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Adaptations
Reading lessons are designed to meet the needs of all pupils. Adaptations may include:·
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Providing scaffolds such as visual aids, vocabulary support, or comprehension prompts.
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Pre-teaching key vocabulary and pre-reading texts
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Offering texts at different levels of challenge to ensure all pupils can access and engage with reading.
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Small group or one-to-one support for pupils needing additional guidance.
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Extension activities for pupils ready to explore texts in greater depth.
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Encouraging peer discussion and collaborative reading to support understanding.
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These adaptations ensure that every child can participate fully, develop independence and confidence, and experience success in reading.
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Impact
The impact of our reading curriculum is evident in pupils who are confident, fluent, and enthusiastic readers.
Pupils demonstrate:
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Fluency in reading with understanding and expression.
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The ability to discuss, summarise and analyse texts thoughtfully.
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Curiosity and enjoyment when exploring a wide range of books and genres.
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Independence in selecting texts that challenge and inspire them.
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Confidence in applying reading skills across the curriculum and in real-life contexts.
By the end of each year group, pupils have developed strong reading skills, a love of literature, and the ability to think critically and empathetically.
Pupil Voice Statements
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"Early reading is delivered with consistency, It starts straight away in Reception. Pupils enjoy taking part in lessons and learn to read quickly."
Ofsted - September 2022
Current Reads
Showcasing Our Library