Pupil Book Study: Reading: An evidence-informed guide to help quality assure the reading curriculum

'Pupil Book Study: Reading' provides evidence-led structures to shine a light on the true impact of a school’s reading provision. Building on the global success of the original Pupil Book Study frameworks, this guide translates these principles into practice to support leaders and teachers to evaluate their reading curriculum.
The catch-all term ‘reading’ covers a wide-spanning aspect of schools’ provision, which is acknowledged to be central to pupils’ long-term success and well-being. It is vital that we have robust and meaningful mechanisms in schools to help us understand which aspects of this are working well and what might need further development. This requires us to examine each aspect of our reading provision in turn, through a lens which acknowledges the disciplinary differences between how we might approach teaching different elements of the reading curriculum. 'Pupil Book Study: Reading' provides the tools and structures to achieve this.
Coherent approaches and tried and tested structures for talking to pupils about their reading help teachers and leaders to avoid assumptions and get under the skin of their reading provision. Headteachers and senior leaders who have undertaken 'Pupil Book Study: Reading' report that it has lifted the veil on their reading provision, allowing them to see, with clarity, how to refine and develop their offer.

With more than 29 years of experience in education as a teacher, headteacher and leading adviser for school improvement, Alex Bedford now supports Unity Schools Partnership and its Research School, working across the UK and abroad. Alex is the creator and author of the highly acclaimed Pupil Book Study series (originally published in 2021) and has worked as an associate consultant for the Institute of Education, UCL. His curriculum writing and resources have been highly praised by Professor Rob Coe and by Clare Sealy (head of education improvement, Guernsey).

You may be surprised to learn that Alex did not engage well at school and spent most of his secondary schooling in the 'remedial stream'. His parents were even told not to 'waste' tutoring money on him. Alex's career took an interesting journey through the Youth Training Scheme in an entomology lab and several years of employment in food technology labs, where he worked on the viscosity of jam in Jammie Dodgers and recipes for Marks & Spencer. Further education led Alex to eventually train as a primary school teacher. He has never looked back. His rule for school is simple: teach with excellence and never write anyone off. According to all the SEND experts Alex has worked with, he channels his ADHD superpower to his advantage, so he can be the most positive and productive person he can.

Husband to Becky (a phenomenal Reception teacher) and proud father of Jack and Finn, Alex is called to adventure and is regularly drawn to the sea and mountains.

Lauren Meadows has dedicated her professional life to improving educational outcomes for children across the sector. Driven by the belief that it is possible for every child to receive an excellent education, she has worked with Primary, Secondary, Special and Alternative Provision settings across the country. Rooted in research and development, her ambition is to synthesise all that we know about what works in education and distil this into tangible classroom practice.
Lauren has worked with a wide range of national organisations, advising on curriculum and assessment design and strategic school improvement, including partnering with Alex Bedford to co-author the internationally acclaimed Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership (CUSP). Her career has been inspired by many great thinkers and mentors, whose unerring patience she will be eternally grateful for.
Lauren can usually be found on the beach or in the woods and is a very proud mum to Molly and Flo, both wise and kind far beyond their years.