Read, Achieve, Succeed
‘Read, Achieve, Succeed’ is a trust-wide initiative which runs across both the Derby and Oldham academies. Our CEO, Antony Hughes, has a strong commitment and passion for reading and wanted all Harmony Children to share in this with him. The initiative was launched in September 2016 as a commitment to develop Reading for Pleasure and to ensure that all children have a book of their own for each year that they attend a Harmony Trust academy. Each year we host a pop-up bookshop supported by our friends and partners at Madeleine Lindley. Every child gets the chance to browse in the bookshop and choose a book to take home.
Research by The National Literacy Trust has found that children who own their own books are more likely to achieve higher educational outcomes that those without. They also found that children who regularly enjoy reading, are three times more likely to have higher levels of mental well-being than those who do not.
Our Read, Achieve, Succeed approach places reading at the heart of everything we do, helping children to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills they need to thrive in school and beyond. Based on the Harmony Reading Framework, reading is recognised as the foundation for academic success, personal development and lifelong learning.
From our youngest learners in EYFS through to Year 6, children are immersed in a rich reading culture. Through high-quality texts, daily reading opportunities, expert teaching, dedicated reading environments and a strong focus on language and vocabulary, we inspire a genuine love of reading while ensuring every child develops as a confident and capable reader. The CEO Book club is an opportunity for children work with Mr Hughes to read, discuss and share opinions about books as a group. They then feed this back to their school through assemblies and Amazon Reviews.
Reading is a partnership between school and home. We encourage children to read regularly, celebrate their achievements through our Reading Champions initiative and work closely with families to support reading beyond the school day. Our fantastic team of staff and reading volunteers provide additional opportunities for children to read, helping to build fluency, confidence and enjoyment.
By prioritising reading, we help our children broaden their horizons, develop their imagination, build cultural capital and achieve success across the curriculum. We are proud to create a community where children are inspired to read, achieve and succeed every day
