Our Reading Team are instrumental in driving reading for pleasure at Brierley Forest. The team consists of 10 children (our Reading Ambassadors) who are avid readers and who have amazing ideas to showcase reading. They are supported by a team of Brierley staff, including Transform Trust directors, admin staff, MDSAs, senior leaders, teachers and TAs, who discuss reading with the children and help to bring their ideas alive.

Events to develop reading for pleasure include: Reading@BFPNSFestival which helped get books into homes; the Big Brierley Book Swap, the Big Brierley Read, Pyjamarama Day and World Book Day, as well as other class themed approaches linked to the curriculum.

At Brierley Forest, we are fortunate to have Bibliotheca, which is home to the school's library and allows children to develop reading for pleasure in a comfortable environment.  Once children are able to apply reading strategies, they can choose from a wide range of books appropriate to their age. The children have been instrumental in the restocking of books, both in Bibliotheca and in their classroom.  We have listened to them and replenished according to their interests and common themes. We are always looking for donations to add to our book collections so if you have any lying around at home that the children have outgrown, we would love to give them a new lease of life! Please drop them in at reception, for the attention of Mrs Wallis. 

Every day, the children listen to modelled reading by an adult.  Children are encouraged to select books that they would like to hear. They reflect on and evaluate what they have heard, making links to other books by the same author, similar themes, their project etc. Children also have daily time allocated to them to just sit and read. The children report that they really enjoy this dedicated time. 

Learning with Parents

Learning with Parents is our digital reading diary. Each family is able to log in and record their child's reading, either by logging a message or uploading an audio recording or film clip. Children are expected to read at least three times each week and they compete for weekly and termly certificates to show their dedication to reading.

If you're not yet linked to Learning with Parents, please see your child's class teacher. 

Foyle Foundation

At BFPNS, we have been fortunate to secure a grant from the Foyle Foundation to help us to purchase more books for Bibliotheca. This has ensured that we can update some of our classic books, but also enable that the children have some new books that meet ever-changing interests, as well as introducing them to new authors. We are so grateful to have had this opportunity. 

Governor Support and Tesco Stronger Starts

The Reading Ambassadors carried out a survey and found that a large majority of children would like to have the opportunity to read outside. The Reading Ambassadors took this idea and researched different cabins/sheds that could be used for this purpose - they then presented their thoughts to Governors in a 'Dragon's Den' style event. The Ambassadors were successful in securing some money towards this. Also, we were accepted as one of the Tesco Stronger Starts projects and over the summer 2026, people in the local community were able to place blue tokens into our box. We now eagerly await how much money we have raised before work on building our Reading Cabin can begin. 

Oxford Owl for Home - FREE eBook Library

Sign up for free to access hundreds of online reading resources for all ages. All free eBooks also come as audios to support with reading. 

Join now at: https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/