Reading for Pleasure

Levels of reading enjoyment amongst children are at an all-time low according to 2023 National Literary Trust statistics. Librarian at Ravenscourt Preparatory School, London, Jenny Griffiths, discusses the importance of school libraries and shares some of the ways she has found to spark a love of reading.

The Library at Ravenscourt Park Prep is at the heart of the school. A prospective parent recently commented “now this is what a library should look like!”.  It is bright, colourful and appealing, with comfortable seating and new books on display. I can hear pupils shouting “the library is open” when they run across the playground at the start of break, eager to read and borrow.

Reading for Pleasure is a top priority and was a major theme in my successful entry to the School Library Association’s 2022 Primary School Librarian of the Year Award. I love children’s books. I love sharing recommendations with pupils and receiving them in return. Within a regularly updated ‘new books’ display, a poster tells pupils what I have just read; what I am currently reading; and what is coming up next. Teachers and SLT, display these posters too, so they know we love books too.

I visited many other schools in the six years that I have managed my own library, and when asked what can be improved, I advise weeding stock. It is impossible for your pupils to find that beautiful new book about coding which you recently purchased, if it is wedged between a book from the late 1970s about television in the future (this is a genuine example and was pretty accurate, except we are not wearing spacesuits) and a geography book from 1983. Once weeded, the shelves will be attractive and appealing, with new books easily discovered. Reading for Pleasure requires books children want to read. I am grateful that my school has been able to support a gradual growth in my budget, trusting my vision for the library, which has seen a huge rise in borrowing. I work closely with other department which has enabled the development of subject-specific and themed collections. I am passionate book reviewer, and a judge for a major children’s book award, with the added bonus that they also introduce new books to the library. Passion for books and dedicated reading time is vital for these responsibilities.

New books are frequently added to our collection and are displayed front-facing so that they are easily found. Quality and variety of stock are vital. Pupils want to read books which open them up to new worlds, and which they will enjoy. The huge growth of graphic novels and the new genre of ‘boomics’ (part book, part comic) entice all readers, reluctant or otherwise. They are a great way to introduce ‘classic’ text to pupils (alongside abridged and dyslexia-friendly editions) and spark enthusiastic peer to peer recommendations.

Author and illustrator visits are key to Reading for Pleasure, and highly significant in providing representation to pupils. The variety and quality that we have welcomed to RPPS has been particularly high, and when pupils feel a connection with these visitors and their books, they want to read. Two particular pupils last year met authors who made them feel represented through shared disabilities, both personal and within their families. These amazing experiences will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Their families and the authors have all shared with me how special these experiences were.

The most significant change I made to the library was to persuade SLT to timetable library lessons for every class. Now, every child, every week, comes to the library. When there are no lessons timetabled the library is open to those on break or at lunch and is always busy. The library reaches everyone.

Reading for Pleasure is encouraged by the wider reading culture within our school. Year 5 pupils regularly race down from English when they want to read the whole book which featured an extract they have just studied; or when they have loved the class reader I recommended to their teacher and want to read the next book in the series; or if they are enjoying the current class topic and want to explore that topic in our current fiction collection. Delving into fiction to read deeper into a topic encourages empathy, and our collection has a strong focus for Equality, Inclusive and Diverse text.

The Reading for Pleasure starts as soon as pupils join RPPS with a story read to them by me at the end of every library lesson and goes all the way through to Year 6 with the position of Library Prefect being a highly sought after role. The prefects are currently helping me to develop our new book review project where pupil-authored reviews can be accessed via QR codes on the book covers.

The library is a safe space where children come to read, relax, find peace, and borrow books which they can take home to Read for Pleasure.