The Donington Cowley Endowed Primary

Reading

Reading at Donington Cowley Endowed Primary School
 

It is our aim that children will leave Donington Cowley Endowed Primary School with appreciation of and passion for literature which will provide the foundations for future learning and enjoyment.

Children across all year groups, access a broad range of high-quality texts, both fictional and non-fictional. Story-telling is given prominence within all classes and all children are encouraged to read widely for pleasure and enjoyment.

We believe that reading is the gateway for children that makes learning possible. Here at Donington Cowley Endowed Primary School everybody is a reader. 

 

World Book day 2026

On World Book Day 2026, our whole school came together to celebrate a shared love of reading through the wonderful book I Want a Dog. Children across all year groups enjoyed exploring the story through a range of exciting activities, discussions and creative learning opportunities. A highlight of the day was our shared reading sessions, where older and younger pupils read together, helping to foster a love of books and build confidence in reading. Throughout the day, classes completed a variety of book-based activities inspired by the story, making World Book Day a fun and memorable celebration of reading for everyone.

Reading Ambassadors in Nursery

Our Reading Ambassadors have been enjoying regular visits to our school nursery to share stories with our youngest children. They choose and share some of their favourite books, bringing stories to life through expressive reading, discussion and plenty of enthusiasm. These special story-time sessions give our nursery children the opportunity to experience the joy of sharing a book with others and help to develop a love of reading from an early age. Our Reading Ambassadors are fantastic role models, showing our youngest children that reading is something to enjoy, share and celebrate across our whole school community.

Library

Our Robin’s Nest Library is a beautiful wooden cabin situated on the school field, providing an exciting and welcoming space for children to enjoy books and develop their love of reading. The library provides all classes with access to a dedicated reading space that can be used as part of the curriculum, giving children opportunities to explore a wide range of books, research topics and develop their reading interests. It also provides a calm and inviting environment for small-group reading, focused support and shared reading activities. The Robin’s Nest is becoming a much-loved part of school life and a special place where children can discover new stories, authors and ideas.

Reading for Pleasure

We are passionate about developing a lifelong love of reading across our school. We are proud to have been awarded the Lincolnshire Silver Reading Pledge and are now working towards achieving Gold. Children have access to a wide and varied selection of books in school, reflecting different interests, experiences, cultures and genres, helping every child to find books that capture their imagination. Alongside their usual reading books and book bands, children regularly take home Reading for Pleasure books to enjoy and share at home. During the 2025/26 academic year, we also introduced lunchtime reading clubs, providing children with dedicated opportunities to relax, share books and enjoy reading together. These clubs will be established again once children have settled into their new classes. We also provide opportunities for children to meet and hear from authors through virtual author visits, giving them an insight into the people behind the stories they love and inspiring them to explore new books and writers. Our termly shared reading events bring children, families and staff together to celebrate the joy of books, while our exciting Mystery Reader sessions in assemblies add an element of surprise and anticipation, encouraging children to be curious about books and eager to discover new stories. Through these opportunities, we aim to make reading a valued, enjoyable and integral part of school life.

Recomended Reads and Reading Spine

Our Reading Spine and Recommended Reads help to ensure that children experience a rich, varied and carefully selected range of high-quality literature throughout their time at our school. The Reading Spine consists of 10 carefully chosen books for each year group, which all children will be exposed to and enjoy during their time in that year group. Alongside this, our Recommended Reads provide an expanded collection of high-quality texts, including a range of authors, genres, themes and diverse experiences. These books may be shared through the curriculum, Reading for Pleasure opportunities, story times, whole-school activities and other special reading experiences, giving children regular opportunities to discover new books and develop broad and varied reading tastes.


Reading Pledge

We are proud to have been awarded both the Bronze and Silver Lincolnshire Reading Pledge, recognising our commitment to developing a strong reading culture and fostering a love of reading across our school. These achievements reflect the range of opportunities we provide for children to enjoy, share and celebrate books, both within and beyond the classroom. We are now working towards the Gold Reading Pledge, continuing to develop our reading provision and ensure that every child has the opportunity to become a confident, enthusiastic and lifelong reader.

Read Write Inc
We use Read Write Inc. (RWI) as our school phonics programme, providing children with a consistent and systematic approach to learning to read. Through daily phonics sessions, children learn to recognise and pronounce sounds, blend them together to read words and develop the skills needed to read fluently and accurately. Children are regularly assessed so that teaching can be matched closely to their individual phonics needs, ensuring that they are supported to make strong progress. As children develop their phonics knowledge, they apply these skills when reading carefully matched RWI books, helping to build confidence, accuracy and a love of reading.