‘Language and literacy provide us with the building blocks not just for academic success, but for fulfilling careers and rewarding lives’ Education Endowment Fund 

Heston Community School understands the value of a high-quality literacy permeating through every layer of our teaching and learning provision and community. 

Heston Community School is committed to becoming a Reading School and in this endeavour, we have been implementing a comprehensive whole school approach, with reading and oracy at its core: 

• Whole school staff literacy training occurs, with ongoing professional support and dialogue to ensure students are supported through their skills in Oracy and Reading to Learn 

• Students are explicitly exposed to new vocabulary through a weekly Word of the Week lesson 

• Every KS3 Tutor Group has their own Loving to Read Class Coordinator to help cultivate the love of reading  

• Colleagues share their favourite books and reading recommendations regularly with students 

• All KS3 students partake in 30 minutes of reading daily through Drop Everything and Read  

• All Heston students have access to Sora, an online reading app, providing a library of eBooks and audiobooks  

• Students are offered opportunities to thrive via literacy-based competitions, virtual author visits and public displays of their beautiful work