At Oakridge, we want every child to develop a genuine love of reading. We know that children who enjoy reading are more likely to read widely, build confidence and develop the knowledge, vocabulary and imagination they need to succeed across the curriculum.

Research has shown that reading for pleasure is linked not only to improved reading attainment, but also to stronger writing, wider vocabulary, better comprehension, increased general knowledge, greater self-confidence as a reader and a deeper understanding of the world around us.

To support this, we have carefully selected a wide range of high-quality, age-appropriate and diverse books for each year group. These books have been chosen to ensure that children encounter different authors, cultures, themes, characters and experiences throughout their time at Oakridge. We want our children to see themselves reflected in these books and to be able to experience people, cultures and worlds beyond their own so that they can deepen and enrich their understanding of the world and their place in it.

Teachers regularly read aloud to their classes, giving children the opportunity to enjoy rich language, hear fluent and expressive reading, and experience books that they may not yet be able to read independently. This shared reading time helps to build excitement around books and creates opportunities for meaningful discussion.

In addition to this, children have access to age-appropriate books within their year groups. These books are used to encourage independent reading, book talk and personal choice. We want pupils to be able to recommend books to one another, talk confidently about what they enjoy reading and begin to develop their own reading preferences.

We have also created the Oakridge Reading Challenge to ensure that all children have the opportunity to access a broad range of high-quality texts during their time at our school. Through this challenge, pupils are encouraged to read widely across different genres, authors and themes, helping them to broaden their reading experiences and develop positive reading habits for life.

Our aim is for every child to leave Oakridge not only as a skilled reader, but as someone who sees reading as enjoyable, valuable and enriching.