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Reading

"Why is reading so important to us at Holy Family?" asked Mrs Harris.

"Because... Reading is King !" everybody replied.

"The reading and writing of Standard English, alongside proficient language development, is the key to unlocking the rest of the academic curriculum."

Nick Gibb 2021

"Reading is our whole life at Holy Family. It is in every subject we do, even Maths and cooking!"

Nicol in Year 3 at Holy Family 2022

Holy Family Reading Journey

Reading is KING at Holy Family! Ask our pupils and they'll tell you...

Our 'Accelerated Reader' Library ⭐️

Our 'Book Swap' Library 📖🔙

Do you struggle to find a book at home that you want to read? Would you like a second book to enjoy, as well as your Accelerated Reader text? Have you ever visited Maidstone Library?

Holy Family are incredibly lucky to house our very own community sharing library on site; from pupils to parents, staff to carers - all are welcome to visit! Pupils are encouraged to visit at lunch times where they are able to find a quiet space to read, to select their next story or to dig out a title relating to their topical class learning. Alternatively, pupils are able to visit every day after school with their parents and carers to select ANY book of choice - we actively encourage children to select a book which they would like to read for pleasure at home. Then it's simple: return it, swap it and visit again...

World Book Day 2024

Thank you one and all for making this year's World Book Day such a 'ROARing' success - what a HOOT it was!

From the exotic, indigenous animals of the Amazon rainforest to the animal pairs aboard Noah's Ark, your creativity and commitment to celebrating literature in the wildest way possible did not go unnoticed. And of course, it wouldn't have been a true WBD if we didn't have a surprise visit from Fiona from Maidstone Library (she even read us her favourite animal story book: The Koala who could).

What a PAWS-itively wonderful sight it was to see our pupils, and staff alike, transform into characters from beloved storybooks! Here's to many more wild and wonderful adventures in the world of books!

Kent’s Summer Reading Challenge 🏅
More than triple the amount of pupils registered for the challenge this summer (compared to last) and these incredible 16 completed it! A special thank you to Fiona Batchelor, from Maidstone library, who came to congratulate and award our pupils with their winning prizes: books of course!

World Book Day 2023

WBD is off to a roaring start with an incredibly generous donation from our local Morrisons store. Thank you so much - these titles will be added to our ever-growing repertoire available in the school library. Not only this, but we were also extremely pleased to welcome Fiona from Maidstone Library to discuss the importance of reading. She shared with us her current favourite read 'When the rabbits listened'. This visit was then followed by Holy Family's very first trip to the mobile library bus where the children each chose a book - Jo, the librarian, was a superstar and helped each of us find a book which particularly interested us. Some of us have even requested a title that Jo could stock in time, ready for her next visit. These mobile visits will happen fortnightly and each class will rotate through the cycle.

Reading really is KING!

Our chosen WBD theme this year was Kings & Queens as Reading at Holy Family continues to reign supreme...

The children were encouraged to think of a fictional or historical royal figure who features in a story they know and then consider ways to make a costume at home. As you can see, it wasn't just the pupils who celebrated: adults and children alike shared in the joy. All children were presented with a £1 book token which they are eagerly saving, ready for the Scholastic Book Fair next week - those who won 'best dressed' were awarded a further £5 voucher to spend.

The Scholastic Travelling Book Fair is in town 📖

Maidstone Mobile Library visits 📚🚌

Reading Challenge Trees🌳

The Reading Challenge Trees - one for KS1 and another for KS2. Will you complete the challenge of reading 50 titles before you leave? From poetry to non-fiction, classics to brand new, diverse titles, there are a variety of books to tempt every reader.