How it works
Reading Schools is an accreditation programme for schools that are committed to building a culture of reading for their learners and communities. It is brought to you by Scottish Book Trust.
Reading Schools offers:
- An accreditation for your school, with the option of advancing to Silver and Gold status
- An improvement framework mapped to (this will open in a new window)How Good Is Our School? 4
- Professional development opportunities for staff
- A way to champion pupil voice
- Opportunities for collaboration within and between schools
- Pathways to engage families and the wider community
- Resources, training and support from Scottish Book Trust
Step 1
Get your school ready
Look at our framework and watch our (this will open in a new window)Introducing Reading Schools webinar to get your staff excited about taking part!
Step 2
Decide which level you’d like to aim for
There are three levels of accreditation – Core, Silver and Gold. Use our handy quiz to help you decide which accreditation level best suits your school. Our (this will open in a new window)self-evaluation templates will also help you assess this.
Step 3
Sign up and complete your Action Plan
Once you have created your account on this website, work with your Reading Leadership Group to complete your Action Plan, which you will find on your dashboard. Use the framework, examples of practice and resources to help you. Once you have completed the Action Plan, submit it for approval.
Step 4
Survey your learners and staff
Ask a selection of learners and staff members to fill out our attitude surveys to find out about their reading habits and views.
Step 5
Put your plans into action and collect your evidence
Enjoy seeing the impact on your learners as you build on your reading culture. Collect your evidence as you go along and add it to your Evidence Plan – we will ask for a combination of comments, quotes and photos against each key area. Your Evidence Plan will be available on your dashboard once your action plan is approved.
Step 6
Submit your evidence for accreditation
Once everything is ticked off and ready to go, you can submit your Evidence Plan for accreditation to recognise all your hard work in building a culture of reading at your school!
Deadlines
Reading Schools is a rolling programme so there are no fixed deadlines. If you are working towards your accreditation over an academic year, we recommend submitting your action plan by October half term and submitting your evidence plan by the summer holidays.
Eligibility and waitlist
Reading Schools is currently only open to selected local authorities. To check if your school is eligible, please visit our sign up page, where you can also add your details to the waitlist if not eligible. We will contact you when registration opens for your school.