Building whole-school reading communities - National Literacy Trust

What is Reading Connects?
Reading Connects, a DCSF-funded initiative
delivered by the National Literacy Trust,
supports schools in developing their
own whole-school reading culture.
Reading Connects is more of an ethos
than a project. It encourages schools to
embed a holistic creative approach to
promoting reading for pleasure into their
policies, vision and practice, integrating the
following elements:
• positioning reading for pleasure at the heart of
the school’s policy to raise standards and promote
enjoyment in learning
• involving all members of staff, including catering
staff, the caretaker, governors and parent groups in
promoting reading
• working in partnership with pupils’ families to
encourage reading in the home
• linking up with the local community and other schools
to develop a local coordinated approach to promoting
reading for pleasure
• making reading as visible as possible within the school
environment
• learning from and sharing good practice with
the Reading Connects network of schools
and organisations
On signing up, Reading Connects
schools receive:
• the primary handbook
• the family involvement toolkit
• a certificate
• access to the Reading Connects logo
• the opportunity to become part of the Reading Connects
network and create their own blog
• ongoing support and email newsletters
How do I join
Reading Connects?
3
Visit www.readingconnects.org.uk and click on ‘join Reading Connects’ in the lefthand
menu. Locate your local authority and fill in the short form. The final stage
of the form asks you to indicate two flexible action points, which you can always
change at a later date. These can be decided upon by completing the audit on pages
6-9 of this booklet, or independently as part of your school improvement plan.
How can I support
Reading Connects
schools in my local
authority?
Local authorities and School Library
Services can sign up as Reading
Connects partners. Visit www.
readingconnects.org.uk and click on
‘local authority partners’ to find
out how you can encourage schools
in your area to build whole-school
reading communities.