Celebrating a Love of Reading Across Our School Community
World Book Day last week offered a wonderful reminder of something we cherish every single day in the Pocklington Foundation: the magic of books. In a world filled with fast-paced routines and ever‑present screens, it is truly uplifting that we still pause—globally—to celebrate the joy of reading. And here at school, that joy isn’t reserved for just one day; it is woven into the fabric of school life from the moment our children arrive each morning.
A School Where Books Are Everywhere
At Pock Prep, books aren’t an add‑on—they are the foundation of everything we do. You’ll see it in our foyer Book Swap shelf where families can exchange books, in our after-school book club, and throughout our Accelerated Reader programme. You’ll feel it when you step into our beautiful library, where children can browse, curl up with a book, listen to stories, or simply enjoy a quiet moment to think.
Author visits bring stories to life—recently Tom Palmer and Catherine Jacob inspired our pupils with their passion for reading and writing. Children regularly visit both the Senior School library and our local town library, helping them see reading as something that stretches far beyond their classroom walls.
As one of our favourite authors, Katherine Rundell, wrote, “If hope is a thing with feathers, then libraries are wings.” Our library truly gives children those wings—open all day, every day, ready for exploration.
On World Book Day, guest readers joined us to share stories, adding an extra sparkle to an already magical celebration. But the truth is, at Pock Prep, every day is a celebration of the adventures, comfort, and discovery waiting inside a book.
Keeping Reading Alive Throughout the Senior School
In the Senior School, World Book Day is just as eagerly anticipated. Teenagers—often juggling exams, activities, and busy social lives—can lose touch with the simple pleasure of getting lost in a book. That’s why this day, filled with fun and creativity, matters so much.
Alongside favourite traditions like D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read), the “Book in a Jar” challenge, and a lively World Book Day Quiz, students took part in a new creative competition this year: designing masks inspired by beloved book characters. Suddenly, heroes and villains stepped off the page and into the room, brought to life with imagination and flair.
One of the day’s most intriguing elements was our “Whole School Read,” where every lesson began with a mysterious five‑minute reading—just enough to leave everyone wondering what could possibly happen next.
It served as a powerful reminder that stories connect us, spark our creativity, and remind us that reading is an adventure we can all share.
A Love of Reading That Starts Early and Lasts
Across the entire Foundation, reading is promoted at every opportunity—not just to develop excellent reading skills, but to nurture a genuine love of books that stays with children for life.
From the very beginning, our youngest learners are surrounded by stories. Classrooms are filled with high‑quality books, and our staff take great joy in finding the perfect story to read aloud or guiding a child to choose a book they can treasure and read independently.
When students arrive at the senior school, we make sure they have dedicated time in our wonderful library, giving them space to read, explore and develop their habit of independent reading. It is important to us that students experience the pleasure of reading a novel in its entirety, so teaching is shaped around engaging texts like Ian McEwan’s The Daydreamer. At GCSE students delve into World literature with the tragic tale of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart and at A level, their reading becomes even broader and more ambitious ranging from contemporary poetry to the epic scope and linguistic richness of Paradise Lost. Outside the classroom literary curiosity continues to flourish and students take lead reading groups tackling complex and rewarding texts such as Ulysses, whose brilliance and difficulty make finishing it an amazing achievement!
At the Pocklington School Foundation, reading isn’t just part of the curriculum—it's part of who we are.
Every shelf, every story-time, every visit to the library, and every excited conversation about a favourite book helps our children grow—not only as readers, but as curious, thoughtful, and imaginative young people.
