Literacy
We know that moving from primary school to secondary school can be both a daunting and exciting time. So that your young person is better prepared for joining us at Henley Bank High School, we suggest doing some daily reading over the holidays.
Regular reading has been proven to help improve many aspects of our daily lives:
- our understanding of different cultures, different countries and people around us
- increase the amount of words we know and therefore our understanding of situations and how we problem solve and make decisions
- improve our mental wellbeing- reading can help us relax and escape daily worries and problems
- improve our social interactions and relationships as we can learn lessons from the stories and text we read
- reading improves our memory, focus and concentration
Reading regularly will mean you create a reading habit. Creating reading as a daily habit will make your move to secondary school a little easier as you’ll be used to reading every day for up to 20 minutes on your own (or maybe you read for longer!).
You could begin by reading for 5 minutes every day then build up to 10 minutes then add a little more each day so that you can then read for 20 minutes- this will help you when you do DEAR (Drop Every Thing And Read) at the end of every school day. To get started you could read something such as a novel, BBC News website, a magazine, a graphic novel. Make sure you choose something you will enjoy: do you have a favourite hobby or interest; are you interested in a particular topic or genre? Looking at the back of a book will tell you some information about what the book is about…don’t judge a book simply by looking at the cover!
If you need help selecting a book then you can use our year 7 book guide to help you select one. This list is great for selecting reads for a DEAR book (DEAR books are part of the daily equipment required by students).
Where to get books?
There are local libraries are a fabulous resource for borrowing a variety of books, it can also save you a lot of money too! Libraries are also a great place to visit if you’re not sure what type of book you might like- librarians can give you lots of helpful suggestions.
Local libraries:
Brockworth Library: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/library-locations-and-opening-hours/brockworth-community-library/
Hucclecote Library: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/library-locations-and-opening-hours/hucclecote-library/
Cheltenham Library: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/library-locations-and-opening-hours/cheltenham-including-childrens-library-and-local-studies/
Recommended Reads
Suggested reads about moving to secondary school
At Henley Bank we also have library book trolleys in Roll Call each morning and a whole school library which is open at lunch times. If you’ prefer to buy your own reading books, websites such as Amazon or local sell and swap websites offer a good place to find second-hand books at a cheaper price than high-street shops such as the book shop, Waterstones.
Suggested reads about moving to secondary school:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/being-miss-nobody/tamsin-winter/amy-blackwell/9781474927277
Being Miss Nobody: Tamsin Winter
Rosalind hates her new secondary school. She's the weird girl who doesn't talk. The Mute-ant. And it's easy to pick on someone who can't fight back. So Rosalind starts a blog - Miss Nobody; a place to speak up, a place where she has a voice. But there's a problem... Is Miss Nobody becoming a bully herself?
https://www.waterstones.com/book/go-big/matthew-burton/9781526362353
Go Big: The Secondary School Survival Guide: Matthew Burton
Written by head teacher and star of Educating Yorkshire, Mr Matthew Burton, this is the ultimate secondary school survival guide. Secondary school can seem scary. Corridors are wide, older students look terrifying and there's homework, messy friendships and stressful exams to deal with. But, whether you're about to land at secondary school or you're still settling in, Mr Burton is here to guide you through your journey - worry-free. From your first day to your final exams, this handbook will have you achieving, succeeding and being the best you can be!
https://www.waterstones.com/book/guts/raina-telgemeier/9780545852500
Raina Telgemeier: Guts
Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session.
It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. A true story in graphic novel form.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/just-jack/kate-scott/9781848126244
Kate Scott: Just Jack
It's not easy fitting in at a new school. It's even harder to be yourself. Jack knows LOTS about starting a new school. Since Dad left, he and his mum have moved house five times.
He also knows all about fitting in. The trick is to act exactly like everyone else and make sure no one ever notices him. But it's hard work trying to be something he isn't and Jack doesn't have any good friends. That is, until Tyler comes along. Tyler is funny and different and might be the key to getting Jack to realise that although he is brilliant at pretending to be other people, the very best thing he can be is . . . JUST JACK.