2017/2018 Reading events
Reading Festival 12th-16th March
For all the information about the Readathon, Bedtime Books, Author visits, book swaps, book sales and much more, please visit the link below:
http://www.bishoproad.bristol.sch.uk/reading-community/book-blog/
Free Readers Workshop
In January the first Free Readers Workshop for families in Year 2 took place, focusing on practical tips when reading together with free readers and exploring how to generate conversations about books once children’s phonic understanding is secure.
Year 1 Parent Reading Workshop
The phonics reading workshop in November covered many tips and strategies and showed resources that can be used at home to help your child. There was also a discussion regarding the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check that is administered in the summer term.
Author Visits
Bishop Road has been visited by some fantastic authors and illustrators this year. As well as all the authors who visited us during the Reading Festival in March (see http://www.bishoproad.bristol.sch.uk/reading-community/book-blog/ ), we were lucky enough to welcome M.P . Robertson, Maudie Smith and Jackie Morris in the autumn term.
INSET with Theresa Grainger
The new academic year began with a flourish with an inspirational INSET day on the theme of reading led by the highly thought of Theresa Cremin (Professor of Education at the Open University). An inspirational speaker, Theresa Cremin spoke passionately to staff about the importance of developing and enhancing the school’s reading community and gave staff a wider range of strategies to support this. From choosing books to be shared in Extended Writing lessons, to re-designing book corners according to their own criteria, children have been encouraged to take a more active role in their lives as readers as a direct result of the training. Staff were asked to reflect on their own lives as readers and think about all of the different instances of reading we undergo in a single day. This inspired some year groups to challenge children to create a “reading river” which contained examples of the things they read over a 24 hour period. All of the exciting and innovative strategies suggested have generated a renewed enthusiasm for reading across the school and have fed into a whole school approach to the teaching of reading.
Celebrating reading around the school
This is the teachers’ library.
This is the wonderful new infant library.
We enjoy sharing stories in our story hut and we have created mosaic panels inspired by our favourite novels
School Library
Our library is at the heart of the school and children make regular visits to explore books with their friends.
There are a large number of books that are available in the school and the newly designed library provides a fantastic space that demonstrates a love and enthusiasm for reading that can be found across the school.
Children are allowed to loan out books from the library and have the chance to do this at break times as well as during class visits.
Story Garden
September 2017 saw the grand opening of the wonderful new Story Garden (formerly the BRAC garden). Classes visit tis fantastic new space in the school several times a term to enjoy reading and sharing stories. The project is a culmination of many hours of dedication and time given by a group of the PTFA. We are greatly appreciative and thankful for their contribution to our school and the impact of this redevelopment on children’s experience at Bishop Road. We have timetabled an opportunity for every class to bring parents and carers on a tour of this new part of our school environment.
Reading Journals/Records
In Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, children have their own reading records which they take home on a daily basis to evidence their reading with their grown-ups. This is a great tool to use for communication with parents about any challenges they have faced and support they may need.
In Year 3 and Year 4 the children have created their own reading journals, allowing them to take greater ownership of their reading. The journals allow them to record when they have read and also provide motivation as it links to their reading challenges.
2016/2017 Reading events
National Book Week 2017
This week started with all children across the school creating their own picture books.
These will be shared during the week with class mates and also on World Book Day with reading buddies. These will be sent home on Friday for families to enjoy.
Bedtime Books
We ran another successful Bedtime Books event on World Book Day where our year one children (and some teachers too) returned to school in their pyjamas ready for a bedtime story.
the children went into their classrooms with their teddies and cushions to be read some lovely stories by their teachers. They were also really lucky to have a hot chocolate too thanks to the help of the PTFA.
Elen Caldecott
On World Book Day, years 3, 4 and 5 were treated to a special visit from author Elen Caldecott, who happens to live in Bristol.
She talked to the children about how she creates her stories and where she gets her inspirations. Then, Elen worked through this process with the children to create a story. In both sessions, these involved heros who were called Bob. The children voted for who they wanted in their story and how they wanted to end. Unsurprisingly, they chose a cliffhanger ending.
Reading Role Models
On Wednesday we were visited by two players from Gloucestershire Cricket Club to become our Reading Role Models.
They visited the school to spend some time reading with children in years 2 and 3. The children had the chance to enjoy sharing a story with the players as well as discussing books.
they were even interviewed by Ayan and Usman from year 3 on behalf of The Interview Crew.
Book Week Book Bingo
On Monday, all children in year 1-6 were set a Book Week Book Bingo challenge.
This will see the children undertake a number of different tasks throughout the week that will help them explore books and an enjoyment of reading.
Bedtime Books
There will be a Bedtime Books event on World Book Day which will see our year one children returning to school in their pyjamas to have a bed time story read to them by their class teacher and many guest teachers.
Book Sale
On Friday we will be hosting a Book Sale.
There have already been some fantastic and very kind donations from across the school.
Bishop Road Book Day Award
Bishop Road book Day Award.pub
Pupil’s reading poetry published
Towards the end of the last school year, some of our children submitted poems into a local poetry competition with the chance to have their work published. Whilst we ran our own judging within the school, the final decision for the poems that would be published had been chosen by Ablaze, the organisation who ran the competition.
In Novemeber, we were informed that 6 of our children made it into the book with their poems. We are immensley proud that our pupils have had some of their work published like proper authors. These books will be on display in our school library for the children to share with their friends and for future pupils to be inspired.
Reading Partners
Reading partners has been launched in the school with each class teaming up with another in a different year group so that each child has their own reading buddy. The classes will meet up with each other once a week for half a term to spend time supporting their partners reading.
This has proved a great success with both the older and younger buddies really benefiting and gaining from the experience.
The younger buddies have enjoyed the opportunity to be heard reading by an older child and look forward to that time when they can show off their skills.
The older buddies have developed a sense of responsibility that they may not have expected and have been very impressed by the quality of reading that their buddies have presented.
Reading events of 2015/2016
Below you can find out what our school got up to last year.
Reading poetry
Years 3,4,5 were invited to take part in a poetry competition organised by Ablaze, a local organisation to develop volunteers.
The winning entries were :
Jack Meadows 4w
Harry Smedley 5BR
Freya Gamlin 5E
Avah Grace Quak-Winslow 3SC
Please enjoy the finalists entries here. Reading poetry finalists
Reading Role Models
We linked up with Bristol Flyers Basketball Team as part of building our reading community with reading role models. Some children in year 4 were lucky enough to spend some time reading to Doug McLaughlin Williams. As well as chatting about his basketball, they read some of their stories to him before he read a book about some basketball legends.
Book Week
Across the school, we had a super time celebrating book week with a number of activities and events taking place. This included World Book Day dress up, bedtime books, creating our own picture books and a book sale with the PTFA.
Reading visitors
Gloucestershire Cricket Club sent along 3 first team players and head coach Richard Dawson to become reading role models for our year 2 and 3 pupils.
Reading competition
The winner of our reading competition, with her model of a shoe cupboard which identifies that reading takes her into other peoples’ shoes is Viv Rosher Mead of 4W.
The runners up were Alex Auton Green, who created a poster of a story that took you into different places based on your answers and Eva Foxall, who is taken under the sea by her reading which she represented with a lovely model and accompanying poem.
The winner and runners up each received a £5 book vouchers which was kindly donated by Foyles book shop (http://www.foyles.co.uk/bookstore-bristol-new). Please visit their website to stay up todate with book events, including school holiday sessions.
We also had some finalists which included Alice Clapham, Livia Barrett, Maya Dodd and Tom Gillingham.
These models will be on display around school so do keep an eye out.