Literacy

A superb mix of genre, author and era; the St. Bernard’s Literary Canon seeks to bridge the primary school model of teacher led reading and transport it into the secondary school environment.  

Each pupil has their own copy and therefore ownership of each book read together. The reading journey starts in Year 7, but is very much a natural progression of that which is read in upper primary school. This journey continues throughout KS3 with a total of 17 books being completed together by the end of Year 9.

The Canon comprises fantasy, adventure, autobiography,

bildungsroman, mystery, crime, different cultures, historical fiction and Black American Literature. It compliments English Literature studies at KS3 and prepares pupils for Literature studies at KS4. The historical fiction novels sit alongside the History curriculum and are taught in tandem with it.

It is our experience that pupils arrive at St.Bernard’s with a passion for reading and we endeavour to harness that enthusiasm and foster a reading strategy that is similar to that with which pupils are familiar.  At St. Bernard’s, ‘Reading Time’ is sacrosanct; it is an integral part of the rhythm of our daily routine. Pupils are read to by their English teacher, in a secure and safe setting whereby each day the learning journey unfolds a little bit further. Reading takes place at the start of every KS3 English lesson. The themes, genre, adventures, incidents and anecdotes read inform enquiring, inquisitive minds; they underpin what is in the daily curriculum; they challenge,through the safety of literature, that which is right and wrong; and finally, and unapologetically, they give children the opportunity to escape into the fantastic world of literature.

Year 7 order:

1. The Angel of Grasmere by Tom Palmer
2. Boy by Roald Dahl
3. Spylark by Danny Rurlander
4. A Little Piece of Ground
5. The Machine gunners
6. Six Weeks by Matt Goodfellow

Year 9 order:

1. Refugee Boy 
2. The Miracle on Ebenezer St
3. After the War
4. Curious Incident
5. Shadow Mancer by G.P. Taylor
6. I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
7. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Write ups:

Shadowmancer takes you into a world of superstition, magic and witchcraft where nothing can be taken for granted, and the ultimate sacrifice might even be life itself.

Obadiah Demurral is a sorcerer who is seeking to control the highest power in the Universe. He will stop at nothing. The only people in his way are Raphah, Kate, Thomas – and the mysterious Jacob Crane.  

Packed full of history, folklore and smuggling, the thrills, suspense and danger are guaranteed to grab the attention and stretch imaginations to the limit.  

This novel is the precise point where our school virtues and literature align. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the first volume of her seven books of autobiography,and in it Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930s. 

As a Black woman she has known discrimination, violence and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration.

‘CagedBird’ is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature helped Angelou to overcome racism and trauma. In the course of Caged Bird, Maya transforms from a victim of racism with an inferiority complex into a self-possessed, dignified young woman capable of responding to prejudice. 

Read at the end of the KS3 Literary Canon journey, this ‘Caged Bird’ touches on identity, oppression, resilience and self-acceptance.  Whilst it was written in 1969, its central themes still resonate today.

I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school.  

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.  In 2012, when she was fifteen, Malala almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.

Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York.  This book invites pupils to appreciate their own right to a full education and challenges them to question the decisions of governments who oppress their people.

Six Weeks is an unforgettable story of love and loss, family and hope written in verse.

Alfie Piper has six weeks of summer – and nothing left to lose.  Since his mum died, Alfie’s world has unravelled. The silence between him and his stepdad roars louder than ever.  

So he does the only thing that makes sense: grabs his bike, and rides.  In these long summer days, can Alfie rebuild what was broken?

This book completes the Year 7 reading journey.  It is a compelling text that finds a perfect balance between respect and longing for what has been lost and resilience and desire to face a future full of life and opportunity.

READING PLUS

Pupils in KS3 also have one Literacy lesson each week during which they access READING PLUS.  This online Reading Programme addresses Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension skills.  The nature of the programme is such that pupils can select their own reading material, but at the same time work on any deficits in their reading ability.  The programme wraps itself around the pupil and each pupil has a set of reading tasks set to an appropriate level of challenge.  At St. Bernard’s we know that reading is the gateway to success in all subjects across the curriculum and therefore time for improving proficiency in reading is timetabled for all KS3 pupils.