Following the success of its Reception “Come and Read” sessions, Cliftonville Primary and Pre-School has extended the weekly opportunity for families to join their children in school across the whole of Key Stage 1.
Once every week, parents, carers and grandparents are warmly invited into Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms for the final 20 minutes of the school day to share books, stories and reading time with their children.
What began as a simple idea in Reception has grown into a cornerstone of the home–school partnership, bringing families together to celebrate the joy of reading.
The sessions are already proving to be a wonderful way to strengthen relationships between home and school. By opening the classroom doors early one day each week, the school hopes to continue building a strong sense of community where families feel welcomed, valued and involved in their children’s learning.
The extension was in response to suggestions from parents in their annual parent survey and was discussed in their thriving Parent Forum. The school is also alternating the day of the week each term to accommodate working parents so that as many families can benefit as possible.
Assistant Headteacher and English Lead Julie Mayhew said: “Reading sits at the very heart of our school and the “Come and Read” sessions give our families the chance to enjoy stories together, build language and model the excitement of falling into a good book.
“We know that research shows that children who regularly share reading with adults develop richer vocabulary, stronger comprehension and a lifelong love of books and our growing family reading community is living proof of this.”
The school is excited to see “Come and Read” flourish across Key Stage 1 and looks forward to welcoming even more families as they continue to celebrate stories, support reading, and nurture confident, enthusiastic young learners.
