Reading aloud to our children holds such magic. This is why story time is a priority across our school and why these sessions happen for 15 minutes in every class, from Reception to Year 6, every day. At Whitchurch Primary, we have created our own reading spine. The texts have been carefully and purposefully selected to take our children on a reading journey; from sharing beautifully illustrated picture books to sharing chapter books that gradually expose our readers to intriguing and challenging themes.

Our reading spine has been created using books that will inspire and excite our children as readers. The texts have been carefully and purposefully selected to take our children on a reading journey; from sharing beautifully illustrated picture books to sharing chapter books that gradually expose our readers to intriguing and challenging themes. We have considered many aspects when creating our reading spine; we wanted to make sure that our children are being exposed to books which:

• Are diverse, including books which support British Values
• Support the Whitchurch School Values
• Will encourage discussions and enjoyment
• Are written by a range of inspirational authors
• Are high-quality reads recommended by educational experts such as 'The National Literacy Trust', and prestigious children's book award nominations
• Include a wide array of vocabulary

Research shows that sharing quality narratives, which the children would not necessarily choose to read for themselves, develops not only a love of reading but improves vocabulary development and language skills, develops imagination and empathy, and enables children to learn about people, places and events outside their own experience. This is what we hope to achieve at Whitchurch Primary School. 

Click here to view our Reading Spine 2023-2024