At Nyth y Deryn, Darllen yn y Nyth is a whole-school reading initiative designed to develop a love of reading while improving literacy outcomes for all pupils. Through regular opportunities to read and be read to, we aim to remove barriers to learning, broaden pupils' experiences, and strengthen the skills they need to access the curriculum and succeed in education.

What Darllen yn y Nyth Supports

• Promotes the cultural and academic benefits of reading.

• Removes fluency barriers by allowing pupils to access rich, age-appropriate texts through shared reading experiences.

• Expands vocabulary and language development.

• Develops pupils' cultural capital by exposing them to a wide range of texts, themes and experiences.

• Improves reading fluency and confidence.

• Strengthens decoding and comprehension skills, enabling greater access to the curriculum.

• Increases reading ability through regular exposure to high-quality texts read aloud.

• Supports the development of writing skills, recognising that strong readers often become stronger writers.

• Encourages reading for pleasure and fosters positive attitudes towards books and learning.

The Need for the Programme

Many young people face significant challenges with literacy, which can impact their educational progress, engagement and future opportunities. Research highlights that:

• A significant proportion of adolescents struggle to read accurately and with understanding.

• Many 15-year-olds have a reading age below their chronological age.

• Pupils with weaker literacy skills are at greater risk of disengagement from education and exclusion.

• Learners attending PRUs often arrive with gaps in basic literacy skills and may have experienced disrupted educational journeys.

• There is a strong link between disadvantage and low literacy levels.

• Schools consistently identify literacy as one of the greatest barriers to achievement for disadvantaged pupils.

• Reading ability is closely linked to examination outcomes and future educational success.

• Reading engagement is recognised as one of the strongest predictors of academic achievement, often having a greater impact than socio-economic background.

Our Vision

Through Darllen yn y Nyth, we are committed to creating a culture where reading is valued, accessible and enjoyable. By embedding reading across our provision, we aim to equip pupils with the literacy skills, confidence and curiosity needed to thrive both in education and in later life. Reading is not only fundamental to academic success; it is also one of the strongest indicators of future life chances, employment opportunities and lifelong wellbeing.