Get Britain Reading Campaign

Get Britain Reading

The Times newspaper has launched the Get Britain Reading campaign, to get more students reading for fun. In October, our very own librarian Ms Squires was interviewed for a Sunday Times piece on the subject, which you can see pictured (click to enlarge). The Times’ campaign seeks to get students to read for ten minutes a day; at Isleworth & Syon, of course, students are encouraged to read for pleasure for at least double that amount. This forms part of our READ, READ, READ philosophy.

Ms Squires was contacted by The Times due to our partnership with HarperCollins and the School Library Association on a special project last year. We were one of only 20 schools from around the UK to take part in a national reading project for young people in Year 8. The aim of the study was to boost children’s enjoyment of reading through their participation in an informal weekly book club discussion led by a member of the library team. The project allowed the school and researchers to measure the impact a weekly book club. Year 8 students took part, with students encouraged to participate in lively book-related discussions. At the start and end of the research trial the target students completed a survey in which they relayed how they felt about reading as well as their reading preferences and behaviour.

We have continued this work with both our reluctant as well as our more keen readers. We hold multiple reading groups, including breakfast clubs on Thursdays and Fridays; we are taking part in the Hounslow Teen Read; and there are author talks and visits currently being planned for later in the year. We are committed to helping students foster a love of reading – as we know that it helps them in the classroom and the wider world.