Our framework
Our framework details the Key Areas that we consider crucial to building and sustaining a whole-school reading culture.
The Key Areas are mapped against (this will open in a new window)How Good is Our School? 4. Under each of the Key Areas we detail the actions necessary to become a Reading School at each level, Core Silver and Gold.
To be accredited as a Reading School, a school must provide evidence of how they have achieved the standard described under each of the Key Areas.
Reading Schools is a whole school accreditation and we expect all year groups and streams to be involved, including (this will open in a new window)Gaelic Medium Education or (this will open in a new window)Additional Support Needs Units or classes.
Once an accreditation has been achieved, schools may apply for a new level of accreditation, for example go from Core to Silver or Gold, at any time. If they do this within one year, we will only ask to see evidence for the new level of accreditation.
For example: a Core level school that wished to progress to Silver and applied within a year would not have to resubmit their Core level evidence, they would simply submit their new Silver evidence. If they applied for Silver in years two or three they would need to submit Core and Silver evidence.
Find out more about each framework level below.
You can also download our pupil-friendly PowerPoint Action planning tools to discuss the Framework with Reader Leadership Groups.
Core
Core accreditation comprises the foundational work key to building a reading culture in school and focuses on reading routines and the school environment
Silver
Silver accreditation builds on the foundational work of Core level through schools providing additional opportunities to broaden their learners’ experiences, such as engaging with authors, visiting libraries, and bringing in other outside expertise.
Gold
Gold accreditation builds on both the foundational Core level and Silver level through schools sharing the enthusiasm and expertise they have developed as a Reading School with their communities through, for example, working with other schools in their cluster, intergenerational projects in their communities, and partnerships with local businesses.