St Christophers CE High School and Sixth Form recently hosted its very first Reading Week, bringing the joy of books and storytelling to life across the main school and Sixth Form. From form time reading to pop-up poetry and Secret Storyteller sessions, the week was a celebration of literature, imagination, and community.
A Week of Shared Stories in the Main School
Reading Week kicked off with pupils in Years 7–9 exploring 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl, while Years 10–11 delved into Edgar Allan Poe’s 'The Tell-Tale Heart' during form time. The sessions were part of the school’s “Reading Allowed!” initiative, where pupils read aloud and discussed texts together, creating lively, thoughtful classroom conversations.
The highlight of each day was the "Secret Storyteller" series in the Library, which kept students eagerly anticipating each lunchtime. The week began with Mrs Tyson’s original tale, 'The Curse of Harold Hump', delighting pupils with mystery and humour. Mr Gardner followed with a dramatic reading from Roald Dahl’s 'The Umbrella Man', while Mrs Spence captivated listeners with Guy de Maupassant’s 'A Vendetta'. The series concluded with Mr Young sharing two atmospheric tales, 'A Night in the Cottage' by Richard Hughes and 'Captain Murderer' by Charles Dickens, with a special guest, Oscar the dog, joining in the fun.
You can view the full stories on the video below:
In addition to storytelling, pupils enjoyed the “Book Flood” — a peaceful lunchtime session where the Library was filled with the quiet buzz of pupils immersing themselves in books together. Miss Holman kindly provided sweet treats, adding to the welcoming atmosphere and reinforcing the joy of shared reading.
Sixth Form Celebrates Poetry and Classic Literature
Sixth Form students embraced Reading Week with both shared reading and pop-up poetry sessions, aligned with the National Year of Reading campaign, Go All In. Form time sessions brought students together to read aloud Chapter One of George Orwell’s '1984', fostering discussion and reflection on the text’s powerful themes.
At break each day, members of staff presented “Pop-Up Poetry” in the Hub, sharing poems that resonated with them personally.
You can view the video of the full poetry recitals below:
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| Mrs Saxby-Street reciting Emily Dickinson’s ‘Hope is the thing with feathers’. "I chose to read 'Hope is the thing with feathers' by Emily Dickinson. Widely unrecognised in her lifetime, Emily Dickinson has since become famed and respected for her unusual, stream of consciousness style of poetry. Usually pessimistic and occasionally dark, I chose this poem because it represents a much rarer moment of optimism and hope. It's introspective tone and lyrical stanzas encourage the reader to reflect on the fragility and resilience of the most painful, yet uplifting, of human emotions." |
| Mr O’Doherty performing ‘Strongman’ by Tony Curtis. "I chose to read 'Strongman' by Tony Curtis to the Sixth Form. ‘Strongman’ is a sonnet, which is traditionally a love poem. This poem is about the love of a parent and the subsequent love that parent receives when they are old and frail. This reciprocal love as an example of how to live is very important to me in my home life and in my work: respect, compassion and love are ‘strong’ foundations for any type of relationship, personal or professional. The father shows kindness, shows love, and is loved. A semantic field of timber reflects his job and, in the prime of life, his strength. His children, when still children, admire and boast about his strength and stamina. For this man to play with them, to become the ‘roundabout’ after a tiring day at work shows that his determination to make time for his children is important to him. This modelling of love is exemplified by the adult child’s comments as he says it’s “no trouble, Dad”. I think this poem is a beautiful depiction of life, decline and death which draws our attention to the most important thing of all: love." |
| Mrs Lillie bringing Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Before You Were Mine’. "Carol Ann Duffy is a Scottish poet, who has served as Poet Laurate. Her poetry is often used as part of GCSE and A- Level studies, which is where, as a Year 10 student I first encountered her work. Before you were mine is a poem that imagines seeing your mother, out with her friends, carefree, before she became 'mum'. I remember it resonating with me when I first read the poem in school, especially the imagery of putting hands into your mum's high heeled shoes. Now that I am a mum myself, the poem resonates even further, as I think about how as my daughter grows up she might perceive me, especially the line 'I knew you would dance like that'." |
| Mr Hardwick reading ‘Kubla Khan’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. “I chose to read Kubla Khan to the Sixth Form. Samuel Taylor Coleridge subtitled his poem " A Fragment" by which he meant that the poem was inspired by a fragmented dream that he experienced when under the influence of opiates. The poem therefore has no narrative structure and no lucid sense of progression. Instead, the poem conjures an extraordinary sense of the sublime through its imagery, its heavily stressed rhymes and its thumping iambic meter. Like most romantic poets, Coleridge appeals to the imagination rather than to reason.” |
| Mr Bailey finishing the series with ‘Instructions Upon My Death’ by Harry Baker. "This is the type of poetry that interests me the most, poetry designed to be recited - Spoken Word or Slam Poetry. I love the clever word play and the strong and changing rhythms within the piece that make listening to it so enjoyable; this isn't a poem that is ruled by rhyme and meter, it has a freedom of form whilst still possessing enough structure to carry you along and let you know where you are going. The gentle humour is expertly interwoven with some real nuggets of genuine pathos and heart." |
You can view the full poetry recitals below:
World Book Day and Reading Week Finale
The week concluded with a vibrant World Book Day celebration. Year 7 pupils and staff came in creative costumes inspired by favourite book characters, while the school librarian distributed free books to encourage further reading. Sixth Form students joined in the celebrations, supporting the library and sharing their enthusiasm for literature with the wider school community.
Reading Week at St Christophers CE High School and Sixth Form was a resounding success, inspiring pupils and students to explore new stories, reflect on poetry, and enjoy reading as a shared experience. From the classroom to the Library and Hub, the week demonstrated the power of literature to connect, entertain, and inspire.
"This year we decided to celebrate the National Year of Reading by 'going all in' with our Reading Week. It was great to see such enthusiasm from staff and students alike throughout the week, from our !Reading Allowed! form time reading, to the creative storytelling and creepy characters in from our storytellers, as well as the power of poetry in evidence with over 300 Sixth Form students captivated in the Hub. Our students shared their love of reading, both for learning, and for pleasure, in a school where reading is always allowed!"
- Mr Waller
The school looks forward to building on this inaugural Reading Week, continuing to foster a love of books, poetry, and storytelling throughout the year.