Reading for Pleasure: Transforming your school's reading culture (TSRC)

Transforming Your School’s Reading Culture (TSRC) is a sustained, research-informed programme designed to help schools place reading for pleasure at the heart of their practice. Created by New Vision English Hub, Teresa Cremin, and the Department for Education, the programme aligns closely with The Reading Framework (2023) and equips participants with the knowledge and strategies needed to lead meaningful, whole-school change.

Grounded in two key strands of research—reading for pleasure pedagogy and leadership/change management theory—the programme blends reading, reflection, and action. Between sessions, participants complete purposeful gap tasks that help embed new ideas and move their school’s reading culture forward.

This work has never been more urgent. The National Literacy Trust recently reported the lowest levels of reading for pleasure among children aged 8–16 since 2005, highlighting a clear national priority. TSRC supports schools in responding to this challenge with confidence and creativity.

Programme Aims

• Build a whole-school culture where reading for pleasure is valued, visible, and actively nurtured
• Develop confident leaders who can drive sustainable change rooted in research and best practice

Who Should Attend?

This programme is ideal for:

Reading Leads
Senior Leadership Team members (SLT)

It is designed for colleagues who play a central role in shaping school culture and leading reading across the curriculum.

About the Course

The TSRC programme consists of five carefully structured sessions, each exploring a different aspect of developing, embedding, and sustaining a strong reading culture. Participants will engage with research articles, selected readings, and practical activities that connect evidence with classroom and whole-school practice.

Session Overview

Session 1 – Reading for Pleasure: Building a Whole-School Culture (7.10.2025)
Explore what a thriving reading culture looks like and how to establish shared values and habits across the school.

Session 2 – Creating Whole-School Change (2.12.2025)
Delve into leadership and change-management theory to understand how to move from vision to action.

Session 3 – Creating a Reading School: Structural Changes (20.1.2026)
Examine the systems, routines, and organisational structures needed to support long-term cultural change.

Session 4 – Creating a Reading School: Behavioural Changes (4.3.2026)
Focus on staff behaviours, teaching practices, and pupil engagement strategies that bring a reading culture to life.

Session 5 – Celebrating Impact and Sustaining Change (23.6.2026)
Review progress, share successes, and develop a strategic plan to sustain and expand your reading culture over time.

Participants are expected to attend all sessions and complete gap tasks between modules to embed learning and drive meaningful transformation.

Time: 9.30-12pm

Venue: Hethel Engineering Centre, Wymondham Rd, Hethel, Norwich NR14 8FB

TSRC is FULL for 2025.

To register your interest for 2026-2027 please contact us on englishhubadmin@wensumtrust.org.uk.