Reading at WMG Academy
Vision Statement
At WMG, we understand that literacy is central to academic success, personal development and lifelong learning. We believe that confident, fluent readers are better equipped to access the curriculum, think critically, communicate effectively and engage with the world around them. Our vision is to develop students who read widely, read deeply and read for pleasure, gaining both the technical skills and cultural knowledge needed to thrive in education, employment and beyond.
What do we do at WMG to support reading?
We adopt a whole-school approach to reading, ensuring that all students receive structured support alongside opportunities to read independently and for enjoyment.
- Reading Plus
Reading Plus is a programme used to develop students’ reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. The programme is personalised to each student’s reading age and ability, allowing targeted practice and measurable progress over time. Students with literacy levels that provide barriers to their learning have three dedicated literacy lessons a week following this programme.
- Literacy Reading Programme
Reading is embedded within the curriculum through dedicated literacy lessons:
- Year 10 students read Animal Farm every Monday. Each session focuses on comprehension, key vocabulary and structured discussion following each chapter.
- Year 11 students follow a similar approach with The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, supporting both literacy development and GCSE English Literature preparation.
These programmes ensure that reading is explicit, regular and meaningful, particularly for students who need additional support.
Why do we read?
Reading is fundamental to learning across all subjects. At WMG, we read to:
- Improve literacy skills, including vocabulary, comprehension and writing accuracy
- Develop critical thinking, inference and analytical skills
- Build cultural capital and subject-specific knowledge
- Support academic achievement across the curriculum
- Encourage empathy, curiosity and independent thinking
- Promote wellbeing and enjoyment through reading for pleasure
Reading empowers students to access complex ideas, succeed in examinations and become confident communicators in further education and employment. Reading for pleasure supports vocabulary growth, imagination and a lifelong love of reading.
Whole School Wider Reading: Recommended Texts Lists
To support reading beyond the classroom, we provide wider reading recommendations linked to curriculum areas.
English
- Stephen Fry – The Ode Less Travelled
- George Orwell – 1984
- F. Scott Fitzgerald – The Great Gatsby
Business / Economics
- Tim Harford – The Undercover Economist
- Ha-Joon Chang – Economics: The User’s Guide
Engineering / Product Design
- Don Norman – The Design of Everyday Things
- Cliff Kuang & Robert Fabricant – User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design Are Changing the Way We Live, Work & Play
- Making It: Manufacturing Techniques for Product Design
- AQA AS/A-Level Design and Technology: Product Design
Computer Science
- Charles Petzold – Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
Biology
- Bill Bryson – A Short History of Nearly Everything
- Steve Jones – Almost Like a Whale: The Origin of Species Updated
Chemistry
- Sam Kean – The Disappearing Spoon
- Primo Levi – The Periodic Table
Physics
- Carlo Rovelli – Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
- Jim Al-Khalili – Life on the Edge
Mathematics
- Michael Guillen – Five Equations That Changed the World: The Power and Poetry of Mathematics
Reading for Pleasure Recommendations
We actively encourage students to read for enjoyment as well as study. Recommended fiction includes:
- Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials
- Paul Morland – No One Left
- Richard Dawkins – The Genetic Book of the Dead
- Steven Pinker – The Better Angels of Our Nature
- David Spiegehalter – The Art of Uncertainty
- Simon Singh – The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets
- Douglas Coupland – Miroserfs
- Rory Sutherland – Alchemy