Whole School initiative needs your support!
Who loves books? Who believes in the power of reading?
We do! And to prove it we have just launched....
A “Reading for Pleasure, Progress and Personal Wellbeing” initiative aimed at 4 to 13-year-olds (Reception to Year 9).
As a school we are not allowing the pandemic to halt our planned educational initiatives and developments. We recognise that good literacy levels, as well as confidence in reading and comprehension are strongly connected to high attainment in school.
Head of Language, Literacy and Communications faculty, Fiona Earle, said: “We very much hope that our wonderful parents will encourage and support the pupils in engaging with some of the opportunities we are going to have on offer.
“We would like to help everyone in the school community fall back in love with reading and look forward to curling up within the pages of a good book, rather than the blue glow of a screen.”
So what are we going to do?
• Make reading part of the daily and weekly routine of students by encouraging reading in tutor time and between lessons. • Talk about reading during form time. • We have already launched a Readathon for Years 7 and 8 with the charity ‘Read for Good,’ which encourages children to read through its unique motivational approach, inspiring reluctant readers to give reading a go, and keen readers to read more widely. • Shadow the Carnegie Awards: reading through shortlisted books and judges’ comments • Dedicate a week to World Book Day in March • Half term holiday was dedicated to “Drop everything and read” week, where children and parents and staff were encouraged to do just that and to send pictures of themselves enjoying a good book • Launch the Accelerated Reader Programme – a highly successful reading intervention that is proven to accelerate the reading age growth of pupils: https://www.renaissance.com/products/accelerated-reader/explore/
And this is just the start!
What resources are we going to use?
In senior school we are creating a brand new, curated fiction department in the much loved Peter Watkinson library. This fiction department will be available for pupils in Years 7 to 9. In addition, we will be timetabling library sessions every fortnight, for students either to engage with the Accelerated Reading programme or simply sit down with a good book.
The Prep School Library will also be re-invented to better reflect today’s readers and authors, as well as the much loved classics.
"I have treasured memories of hunkering down in the school library memorizing quotations from G.R. Elton (RS 1939-1940) for my history exams; it is so exciting that our libraries will once again come alive with learning; due in part to the Society’s financial support for our new reading initiatives." - Lucy Davies, Head of Prep School.
Now and in the future, our Virtual School Library will be available for use, complementing the existing school libraries and ensuring that children have access to the magical world of stories all year round, whether they are learning at school or at home. It can be accessed by visiting: https://library.thenational.academy/
And then there is a link to all kinds of resources that help parents access materials, including free e-books, author interviews, poetry fun etc. https://www.dropbox.com/s/6uj3ikbbkhaxqq0/Reading%20home%20links.pdf?dl=0
In addition, Audible have made a whole range of books available to listen to for free. Perfect for struggling and reluctant readers!
Finally, parents may have seen that the Oak National Academy is working with the National Literacy Trust to focus on a different author each week, with access to a novel.
The school will also be organising regular author visits to talk about their journey into writing and hosting masterclasses once it is safe to do so.
How will we do it?
The school is investing around £25,000 to get the scheme started.
The Rydal Penrhos Society has kindly decided it will commit £2,000, donated by Peter Watkinson’s family to the initiative, as schemes of this nature were something he believed in, very strongly – which is how The Peter Watkinson Library got its name. And they will also add another £3,000 from society funds to start the collection of books needed for the scheme.
"I am very pleased to report that at the most recent RP Society committee meeting it was agreed that the Society would donate this money plus an additional amount to the school, in total £5,000. This money will be put towards the purchase of books for the Accelerated Reading Scheme which will benefit pupils at both the Prep and Senior schools.
"It is good news to know that our Society is helping the current pupils at school in this very important area." - Guy Watson, President, Rydal Penrhos Society
The school is most grateful to all of our society members for this generous gift. We would also like to ask that, if anyone else who has a true passion for books and reading and all the gifts they bring would like to get involved, or contribute in some way, to please contact Sarah James at SJames@rydalpenrhos.com or Fiona Earle at FMEarle@rydalpenrhos.com.
