your learning resource centre
The Highcrest Library sits at the heart of our whole-school reading culture. It is a warm, lively and welcoming space where students can read, study, explore new ideas and develop as confident, independent readers.
Our library contains more than 8,000 fiction and non-fiction books, with our collection regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the interests, needs and diversity of our school community. Alongside a wide range of novels and factual texts, our growing collection of graphic novels and manga is particularly popular with students.
The Library is staffed by a full-time Librarian, who supports students in choosing books, developing their reading habits and finding resources to support their studies. Our Library Ambassadors also play an important role in the life of the Library, helping their peers and promoting reading across the school.
Students are encouraged to use the Library throughout the school day. It is open from 8.00am before school, at break and lunchtime, and after school until 4.00pm (3.30pm on Fridays).
Library and Reading Lessons
All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 have a dedicated Library and Reading lesson every fortnight.
These lessons provide protected time for students to read, discover new authors and genres, and develop the skills and habits that support successful reading across the curriculum.
Lessons are divided between independent reading, our Reading Journal programme and time to work on Bedrock Learning, ensuring that students have opportunities both to read for pleasure and to explicitly develop their vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension.
Reading aloud also forms part of our approach. Students have regular opportunities to hear fluent reading modelled and to develop their own fluency, expression and confidence.
Our Reading Journals
Students use specially designed Reading Journals during their Library and lessons. These are not simply reading logs: they provide a structured programme through which students engage more deeply with what they read.
Activities encourage students to explore vocabulary, make connections, consider ideas and perspectives, respond to texts and reflect upon their development as readers.
The content and focus of the journals develop as students move through Years 7, 8 and 9. Each year therefore provides a different reading experience, appropriate to students' age and stage, while continuing to build the core habits of thoughtful, independent reading.
Our aim is to expose students to an increasingly broad range of fiction and non-fiction, authors, genres, subjects, cultures and perspectives, helping students to develop both their reading ability and their knowledge of the wider world.
Reading for Pleasure
We want students to see reading as more than something they do in lessons. Developing a genuine habit of reading for pleasure is an important part of life at Highcrest.
Students are encouraged to explore the Library, talk to our Librarian about their interests and try books they might not otherwise encounter. Our collection is continually developed in response to student interests and recommendations, and students are encouraged to take ownership of their own reading choices.
Our Reading for Pleasure resources provide age-appropriate recommendations for students throughout the school:
Year 7 Reading for Pleasure - click here
Year 8 Reading for Pleasure - click here
Year 9 Reading for Pleasure - click here
Year 10/11 Reading for Pleasure - click here
Sixth Form Reading for Pleasure - click here
Bedrock Learning
Bedrock Learning forms an important part of our whole-school approach to literacy and is embedded within our Library lessons.
Bedrock explicitly develops students' vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension through carefully sequenced online learning. Students encounter ambitious vocabulary in context and revisit their learning over time, helping them to develop the language they need to access increasingly challenging texts across the curriculum.
Students also complete the Bedrock Reading Test, enabling us to identify students' reading strengths and areas for development, track progress and ensure that additional support is directed towards those who need it.
Bedrock Clinic
We recognise that some students benefit from additional support to complete their Bedrock learning successfully.
Our Bedrock Clinic runs every Monday after school in the Library. Students can receive additional help from our Librarian and an English teacher, whether they need support understanding a text, working through unfamiliar vocabulary or completing their Bedrock learning.
The Clinic provides a supportive environment in which students can ask questions, practise their reading and develop greater confidence and independence.
Award-Winning Reading Progress
We are extremely proud of the progress our students have made in reading.
At the Bedrock School Awards 2026, The Highcrest Academy was shortlisted for awards recognising reading comprehension growth amongst both Pupil Premium students and students with SEND.
We were delighted to win the award for Highest Reading Comprehension Growth for EAL Students, recognising the exceptional progress made by our students who speak English as an Additional Language.
This external recognition reflects our commitment to identifying barriers to reading early and ensuring that students receive the teaching, opportunities and targeted support they need to become increasingly successful readers.
The Impact of Our Reading Provision
We closely monitor students' reading development so that we can evaluate our provision and respond to students' needs.
During the 2025/26 academic year, the proportion of students reading at or above their expected reading age increased by 17 percentage points, demonstrating significant improvement across the school.
Our reading culture has strengthened alongside this academic progress. During 2025/26, library loans increased by 88%, reflecting significantly increased student engagement with the Library and reading for pleasure.
Why Reading Matters
Reading is fundamental to success across the curriculum. Regular reading helps students to develop their vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and wider knowledge, while exposing them to different ideas, perspectives and writing styles.
Reading widely also supports students to become increasingly confident and independent learners. It allows them to encounter language and knowledge beyond their everyday experiences and provides opportunities to explore their own interests.
We encourage students to read in a range of formats, including fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, magazines and high-quality articles. There is no single book that will create a reader: helping students discover the subjects, genres and authors that genuinely interest them is an important part of our work.
Our Librarian is always available to help students choose an appropriate book or simply find something new to try.
Supporting Reading at Home
If you would like support in helping your child to read more regularly at home, are unsure which books may be appropriate for their age or reading ability or would simply like some recommendations based on their interests, please contact our Librarian, who will be very happy to help.
We are always keen to work in partnership with parents and carers to help every student develop confidence, enjoyment and independence as a reader.
Ketheridge@highcrestacademy.org.uk