Reading for Pleasure

Reading for Pleasure with the Open University

Teachers as Readers

This group provides free evidence–based CPD for teachers, teaching assistants, early years professionals, librarians, reading volunteers and others to enrich their understanding of reading for pleasure (RfP) and how to support it.

This group is led by Danni Cooke Ilsham English hub lead, and the Ilsham hub team, and this is the fifth year this group has been running.

The aims of the groups are:

To foster children’s reading for pleasure through supporting teachers’ /members’ own RfP and research-informed practice;
To support the profession by building a professional community around RfP locally and online;
To share teachers’ resultant development work on the OU RfP website.

We will be starting a new cohort in September 2026.

To sign up please click on the link: Teachers as Readers Group - Open University/UKLA Ilsham English Hub 2026-27 – Fill in form

Download: Audit: Reading for Pleasure provision

Transforming your school’s reading culture

The TSRC programme is underpinned by research; throughout the programme there are articles/books for participants to read as well as references to research built into the session plans. This research is split into two strands: reading for pleasure and leadership development/change management theory, there will be gap tasks in between the sessions, and you will receive a certificate once the course is completed.

The Core sessions are run by Ilsham English Hub from 12.30 – 3pm (you need to attend all sessions).

Core Session 1: Reading for Pleasure: a whole school culture: 22nd October 2026
Core Session 2: Creating whole school change: 3rd December 2026
Core Session 3: Creating a reading school: structural changes: 4th February 2027
Core Session 4: Creating a reading school: behavioural changes: 18th March 2027
Core Session 5: Celebrating impact and sustaining change: 24th June 2027

We will be starting a new cohort in September 2026

To sign up please click the link: Transforming your School Reading Culture 2026-27 Ilsham National English Hub: Face to Face – Fill in form

Children’s Rights to Read

The Children’s Rights to Read initiative, founded on 10 fundamental rights every child deserves, was developed to ensure that every child, everywhere, has access to the education, opportunities, and resources needed to read.

The case for Children’s Rights to Read

The Reading Agency

The Reading Agency is a national charity that tackles life’s big challenges – including loneliness and poor mental health and wellbeing – through the proven power of reading.

Homepage – The Reading Agency

Recommended Reads/ Our favourite books

This section is being updated

Local Libraries

Our local libraries are a wonderful resource which enable schools and families to read as much as they like for free! Borrow up to 20 books at a time.

Click the link to find your local library: Local library services – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Secret Book Quest is an exciting reading challenge for children ages 5 and up. Read a total of 50 books to collect all the stickers, decipher the code and win a special prize. To sign up for free, visit your local library. The Secret Book Quest 22 (librariesunlimited.org.uk)

Our Partnership of schools

Learning Academy Partnership

Reading for Pleasure