English

As the year draws to a close we’d like to thank you for your support for your child’s learning. Over a well deserved break it’s worth remembering the significant effect of regular reading on students’ developing literacy. I’m sure most of us are familiar with infographics such as this one from Scholastic. Beyond this compelling numerical endorsement of reading there is a growing body of research that identifies positive wellbeing effects of reading. Indeed, an oft quoted University of Sussex research project compared reading with a variety of stress-reducing activities and found it had over 60% efficacy. 

Year 11 and 12 (2025) students have been issued texts to read over the summer break and, in the instance where a student has completed their reading, we recommend reading prescribed texts at least twice. For juniors, the act of reading is the critical element so don’t worry too much about the ‘literary quality’ of the text. Like nutrition, it’s important to vary the diet so fact, fiction, fantasy or fandom are all fair game as long as you’re reading. 

One last thought - it may be hackneyed - but the guiding principles for gift giving this Christmas for many is the ‘want, need, wear and read’ approach. The last one’s a beaut! 

Have a great Christmas break and we’ll see you next year! 

Mr Damian Quinn |  English KLA Leader