The Weekly Read: An Unintended Consequence

"I just didn’t imagine she would like the same books as I do - or that she was more of a reader than me!" This comment, made by a Remove pupil reflecting on a new friendship with someone she had shared classes with for two years but rarely spoken to, perfectly captures the quiet success of our new reading initiative. It also confirmed that the many hours spent designing an online quiz with over 130 branching options was time well spent.

Early feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly in how personalised book matching has removed potential barriers and obstacles to reading and made it easier to support regular reading at home. With this year designated the National Year of Reading in response to a national decline in reading for enjoyment, we were keen to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather than bulk-buy class readers, pupils completed a carefully designed quiz - initially unrelated to books - that drew on research from the National Literacy Trust. Behind the scenes, this matched pupils with texts reflecting their interests, hobbies, and film and television preferences and placed them in to small groups of 12 who form a book club. The Sixth Form mentors also completed the quiz to find which book club they would lead and are reading the book alongside their Lower School counterparts, before leading the discussions when they meet. 

As a result, over 400 pupils have now been individually matched with a book they are likely to enjoy. While there were initial groans at the idea of ‘enforced’ reading, the personalised approach has transformed attitudes. Every Wednesday, pupils (and teachers!) now read in a calm, purposeful environment, helping reading time feel both valued and shared.After half-term, pupils will meet in their small book-club groups during ‘drop-down’ sessions led by the Sixth Form Reading Mentors, meeting others matched with the same book to discuss characters, themes, and ideas. Meanwhile, avid readers meet separately every week in the Library, engaging in deeper literary discussion and receiving expert guidance from our Librarian on what to read next.

The impact has gone beyond reading. Pupils are discovering shared interests, building friendships, and feeling part of a wider reading community. This was exactly the kind of connection we hoped to foster - but seeing it unfold so naturally has been a wonderful surprise. 

Thank you to our parents for supporting this initiative at home, through encouraging reading and role-modelling it whenever possible. The Weekly Read is quickly becoming a valued part of our school culture, inspiring both a love of books and a stronger, more connected community.