Shared Practice: Inspiring and sustaining reading for pleasure in secondary schools (February 2025 recording)

This is a collection of one presentation and two interviews from a live webinar event held in February 2025, showcasing the importance of reading for pleasure in secondary schools, together with great practice examples, top tips and pointers.

The recordings feature a presentation from the University of Edinburgh's Dr Charlotte Webber, together with interviews with St Andrew's and St Bride's High School's Susan Brownlie and Queen Anne High School's Elaine Coleman and Leigh-Ann Dingwall.

This content directly relates to key areas 1.3.1 whole school action plan, to support the introduction, development and sustainment of reading for pleasure practice.

We recommend watching these recordings and downloading the presentation below if you are interested in exploring ways to promote and support readership and reading for pleasure in your school.

Please visit our CLPL calendar(this will open in a new window) for other upcoming and recorded sessions.

Shared Practice: Inspiring and sustaining reading for pleasure in secondary schools

Presentation: Dr Charlotte Webber

Joining us from the University of Edinburgh, Dr Charlotte Webber delivers a presentation on the research around teen readership and why reading for pleasure in secondary schools is so important.

Interview: Susan Brownlie

St Andrew's and St Bride's High School's Susan Brownlie joins us to share her school's experience, having achieved both Silver and Gold Reading Schools accreditations. She shares insights, approaches and advice on how to establish a rich and sustainable reading culture.

Interview: Elaine Coleman and Leigh-Ann Dingwall

Queen Anne High School's library team, Elaine Coleman and Leigh-Ann Dingwall, share their school's journey through all three levels of accreditation. They share the challenges, successes and impact of developing a supportive, reading-rich environment in their school.

Related resources

There are other resources that you may also find of interest to support the key area outlined above:

• Use our 'ready to go' presentation templates, like our introducing Reading Schools assembly presentation template
• Explore our resources to facilitate discussions and activities around reading identities
• Continue surveying your learners to find out what their interests are and how to meet their reading needs
• Explore ways to support your learners to respond to what they are reading for pleasure
• Check out our new community page, to find great practice from fellow schools across Scotland