"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go". (Dr Seuss)

At Chalfont St Peter Church of England School (CSPA), we want all of our children to:

• read confidently and fluently and seek to acquire knowledge independently,
• develop a lifelong enjoyment of reading, taking genuine pleasure from what they read,
• develop the reading skills they need to access all areas of the curriculum,
• understand the meaning of what they read and what is read to them,
• read critically to ascertain what the truth is in a statement so that they may gain a balanced understanding of local, national and international issues,
• make responses to what they read justifying those responses,
• become immersed in other worlds - both real and imagined. 

At CSPA, we work torelessly to develop and embed a strong, sustainable reading culture within the school community. Confident and competent readers will foster a love of reading through a rich and varied experience of texts, in which they are empowered to exercise freedoms of choice and independence. Inspiring children to read is a moral imperative and their fundamental right. It underpins all learning and secures a good trajectory for personal development, understanding the world in which they live. We achieve this by:

• our older children acting as 'reading buddies' for our younger children,
• our CSPA reading ambassadors who promote reading across the school,
• dedicated reading events such as Mystery Reader, World Bood Day and the Big Book Swap,
• Reading awards (bronze, silver and gold) for regular reading both in school and at home to motivate and encourage,
• engaging with authors (in-person and virtually),
• peer recommendations,
• bookfairs,
• using reading records and journals as a way for children, teachers and parents to track reading and justify choices from one author/genre to another,
• creating displays to actively promote and celebrate reading,
• engaging with parents and encouraging their participation,
• investing in books for class libraries.