Today a reader, tomorrow a leader

Today a reader, tomorrow a leader' said Margaret Fuller who became the first woman to be allowed to use the Harvard College Library in the US and the first female book reviewer in journalism.

Here in Secondary, we could not agree more with the idea that reading matters. In KS3, the English department aims to foster a love of independent reading. In Year 7, all pupils have their own reading journal which they take ownership of. They are given guided sessions with Ms Nura Agzamova, our librarian, on how to reflect on different aspects of a book such as the plot and structure, themes and characters and asked to give regular presentations on books they are currently reading. Pupils even designed their own reading journal covers to make them more distinctive, and awards were given for the most creative and conceptual. You can see the short listed book covers here. 

The winners from each class were: Aida Baitulik, Adeilna Alibayeva and Nurgaly Issabayev. This week during Year 8 and Year 9 library lessons, pupils went book selling. Within English, we aim to challenge, stretch and encourage pupils to read a wide range of fiction to improve and develop their English skills. Pupils had to 'pitch' their book and were given 3 minutes to discuss their novels. Their goal was to try and persuade the other person that they should take their books out for the long weekend. The pupils had some lively discussions and by the end of the lesson had a long list of new recommended books to read.