--- title: "Literacy" url: "https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/literacy" school: "Queensmead School" --- # Literacy ## At Queensmead we put literacy at the heart of our curriculum. We encourage students to read widely and often and promote reading inside and outside of the classroom. Students start the day with teacher-led reading during form time. Around school, our sixth form students support younger students with their reading, and we take part in ‘drop everything and read’ with both students and staff taking a short break from work to share their love of reading. We have a book vending machine and literacy competitions to increase awareness of the importance of literacy around the school. Further details of how these strategies support literacy across the curriculum can be found below. ## D.E.A.R Drop everything and read! DEAR is a joint celebration of reading across the entire United Kingdom. At regular intervals, all staff and students within a school drop any work, discussions or activities they are doing and read for 20 minutes. As a school, Queenmead will be taking part in this every 2 weeks at random intervals. This allows us, as a community, to take a moment from our busy lives and lose ourselves in books. ![Image Description](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/images/19-800x800.jpg) ![Image Description](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/images/20.jpg) ## Book Vending Machine Following our mission to become an environment where we read for pleasure, we have recently installed a book vending machine. The vending machine is there to reward students for all their hard work and earn themselves a free book. Golden tokens can be awarded to students who impress through weekly challenges, or by completing outstanding classwork that deserves recognition. ## Literacy Competitions Weekly, during form time, a literacy challenge is given to all students of all year groups. These vary from, speech writing, character analysis, and poetry writing. These exciting competitions allow students to be creative with literacy and sometimes work as a form to earn points. Top forms are rewarded with treats and vending machine tokens. Every half term, a literacy champion is selected. This term’s literacy champion is Mahjabeen for this beautiful, reverse poem about the challenges of lockdown. Make sure you read it both ways!! ![Image Description](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/images/IMG-20211110-WA0001-1-851x1024.jpeg) ### Learning - [Statement of Intent](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/statement-of-intent) - [Curriculum Maps](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/curriculum-maps) - [KS3 Curriculum](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/ks3-curriculum) - [KS4 Curriculum](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/ks4-curriculum) - [KS5 Curriculum](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/ks5-curriculum) - [The Wider Curriculum](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/the-wider-curriculum) - [Super Curriculum](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/super-curriculum) - [Careers](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/careers) - [Literacy](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/literacy) - [Personal Development](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/personal-development) - [Extra Curricular Activities](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/extra-curricular-activities) - Beyond the Classroom - [Benefits of the wider curriculum](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/benefits-of-the-wider-curriculum) - [Wider Curriculum at Queensmead School](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/wider-curriculum-at-queensmead-school) - [Charities](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/charities) - [Community Languages](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/community-languages) - [Concerts](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/concerts) - [CREST Awards](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/crest-awards) - [Drama Productions](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/drama-productions) - [Educational Visits](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/educational-visits) - [Extracurricular Activities](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/extracurricular-activities) - [Jack Petchey “Speak Out” Challenge](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/jack-petchey-speak-out-challenge) - [Music Tuition](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/music-tuition) - [Outreach](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/outreach) - [STEM](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/stem) - [Student Leadership](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/student-leadership) - [The Scholars Programme](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/beyond-the-classroom/the-scholars-programme) ![Queensmead School](https://files.schudio.com/queensmead-school-2/images/logo/Logo-Footer.png) ### Queensmead School Queens Walk South Ruislip Middlesex HA4 0LS 020 8845 6266 ### Quick Links: - Term Dates - [Contact Us](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/contact) - [News](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/news) - [Calendar](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/calendar) - [Post 16](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/post-16) - [Admissions](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/our-school/admissions) - [Curriculum](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/curriculum/ks5-curriculum) - [Ofsted Report](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/our-school/ofsted) - [Newsletter](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/parents/newsletter) - [Students](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/students) - [Uniform](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/parents/uniform) [![Partnership Learning](https://files.schudio.com/queensmead-school-2/images/logo/AAAPartnership-Learning_white.png)](https://partnershiplearning.com) © Copyright 2026 Queensmead School School & Trust Websites by [ ![Schudio logo](https://queensmeadschool.org.uk/img/logo/light.png) ](https://www.schudio.com/)