Reading and the Library

At Cottingham High School, the library plays a vital role in developing confident, enthusiastic readers.

All Year 7 and 8 students take part in library lessons once a fortnight. Each lesson is carefully structured, with the first half focusing on exploring and discussing a shared text from a wide range of genres. This helps students broaden their reading experience and discover the types of books they enjoy. The second half of the lesson is dedicated to independent reading, giving students protected time to read their own chosen book in a calm and supportive environment. Every half-term, each student also reads one-to-one with a member of staff so that reading fluency and progress can be monitored and celebrated. To further encourage a love of reading, a reading book is part of every student's daily equipment, ensuring that reading remains a regular and valued part of school life.

Our Library Offer

The library is a welcoming, inclusive space that students can access throughout the school day and beyond their timetabled lessons. The library is open before school (08:00-08:30), at break, during lunch and after school (15:05-16:00), encouraging independent use of the space. Many students use the library to complete homework, access computers, and make use of the wide range of books and learning resources available. Student voice is central to our provision, and the library has a book request postbox where students can suggest titles they would like added to the collection. These requests are reviewed and books are ordered every half-term to ensure the stock remains current and relevant. The library also offers a book vending machine, allowing students to choose and keep a book using a token. Tokens can be purchased with positive points, won through competitions across the year, or awarded for exceptional effort or work. Alongside this, multiple chess sets are available for student use, and a popular Chess Club runs every Wednesday lunchtime. The library also supports student wellbeing through its Menstruation Station, where students can access free period products at any point during the school day. The library provides a calm, purposeful environment that supports academic success, enrichment and well-being.

Reading for Pleasure and Purpose:

We actively celebrate reading for both pleasure and purpose throughout the academic year, creating regular opportunities for students to engage with texts in enjoyable, low-pressure ways while also developing the skills needed to succeed across the curriculum.

We celebrate all styles of reading, recognising that reading for pleasure looks different for everyone. Alongside non-fiction reading, such as engaging with The Day articles during tutor time, we provide regular opportunities for students to immerse themselves in fiction. This includes quick lunchtime reads and fortnightly library lessons, where Key Stage 3 students are introduced to the opening chapter of a novel from a wide range of genres. These sessions are designed to spark curiosity and encourage students to borrow books from the library, supporting independent reading and helping students experience the wide-ranging benefits of reading, including a broader vocabulary, improved literacy, fluency and comprehension, and exposure to wider ideas and knowledge.

Across the year, we also run three dedicated Reading Weeks, each built around an engaging theme. These themes encourage students to explore reading both inside and beyond the classroom, helping them discover new texts, genres and authors. During Reading Weeks, we promote reading for pleasure alongside reading for purpose within classroom environments. Activities are tailored to different subjects, encouraging students to engage with texts as journalists, historians, scientists and other subject specialists, while developing curiosity, enjoyment and a positive reading culture across the curriculum.

Reading Weeks include a range of inclusive and creative activities such as Drop Everything and Read, short stories shared at different points during the school day, book speed-dating, and themed competitions including our popular Literary Bake Off. These events celebrate students’ favourite books while offering low-stakes opportunities to take part and win prizes, ensuring reading feels accessible, social and enjoyable for all.

Access to Reading and Interventions

At Cottingham High School, reading is at the heart of our curriculum and wider school life. Alongside strong interdisciplinary reading across all subject areas, Key Stage 3 students are supported to develop their reading skills through the Reading Plus platform, which is delivered during morning Personal Development sessions. Reading Plus is used to strengthen reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, helping students become confident and independent readers. We regularly monitor students' reading performance to track progress and identify students who may require additional support, allowing us to put timely and targeted reading interventions in place so that every learner is supported to succeed. These include phonics-based support, Read Write Inc. Freshstart sessions for students who need to strengthen decoding and reading accuracy, and small-group reading skills sessions. These interventions are carefully matched to students’ needs and are reviewed regularly to ensure they have a positive impact on reading confidence, fluency and comprehension.