Using Giglets to Support Inclusive Literacy in a School of Sanctuary

School Context

Kitchener Primary School is a proud School of Sanctuary in Cardiff, serving a richly diverse community. Around 90% of pupils are EAL, with over 40 home languages represented across the school.

Rather than viewing this diversity as a barrier, Kitchener has built an extraordinary culture where language, literacy and inclusion are inseparable. Inclusion is not a bolt-on strategy; it is woven into the daily life, values and pedagogy of the school - championed by staff, lived by pupils, and embraced by parents.

Giglets plays a key role in this inclusive ecosystem, supporting multilingual literacy while reinforcing the school’s wider commitment to belonging, voice and cultural validation.

A Culture of Sanctuary and Belonging

From the moment you enter Kitchener Primary, inclusion is visible and tangible.

A welcome sign greets families in dozens of languages. The reception area displays flags representing the countries and cultures of the children - a feature repeatedly highlighted by pupils as deeply meaningful. For children new to the UK and new to English, seeing their identity reflected so visibly sends a powerful message: You belong here.

This sense of sanctuary is reinforced through everyday practices. Interpreters are used naturally and confidently in lessons, ensuring children who are new to English can participate fully. Pupils view this not as something unusual, but simply as part of how everyone in the class is included.

As one pupil explained, interpreters “help people be part of the lesson”. Such quiet normalisation speaks volumes about the school’s culture.

 

“We want it to be obvious that Kitchener is a diverse school, even if you don’t see the children.”
- Reena Patel, Head Teacher

 

 

Inclusion Lived by the Whole Community

Inclusion at Kitchener is not driven by policy documents alone. It is embodied by the people.

The headteacher, Reena Patel, and her staff lead with visible passion and clarity. Pupils articulate inclusion with authenticity and empathy. Year 6 Head Boy and Girl, Yasin and Lisette, spoke movingly about welcoming a new pupil from India who arrived with no English only months ago. Despite the language difference, Samuel was quickly embraced by his classmates. Now, they told us: “It feels like he has been with us forever.”

Parents are equally engaged. An Estyn meeting celebrating inclusion at the school attracted 232 EAL parents, demonstrating exceptional trust and connection between school and community.

A rummage through the book box in reception (for anyone waiting to browse through) uncovers almost what is a mission statement in itself! Traditional stories - reflecting foods, languages and cultures from around the world. If you flick through the welcome book, you will see that the children themselves have written words of welcome in their home language.

 

 

Literacy as the Engine of Inclusion

At Kitchener Primary, literacy is celebrated with the same intent and care as inclusion. They are viewed as being deeply connected.

 

“We’ve worked to deliver a holistic reading framework, more than a scheme”
- Jen Bibey  (LLC Lead)

 

The school has made deliberate decisions to modernise its reading offer, replacing many legacy texts with books that reflect contemporary society and global cultures, while still valuing classic literature where appropriate (you can still find Stig of the Dump and the Famous Five if you look hard enough!).

A culture of reading is visible everywhere, with multicultural inclusion woven naturally and unselfconsciously. In a walk around the school, you’ll find:

• Multicultural and multilingual texts in classrooms 
• A carefully curated “Rainbow Library”
• Books combining English with other languages in a single text
• Whole-class and Group Guided Reading (GGR) that celebrate cultural difference and prioritise discussion, voice and access

 

Reading is also celebrated publicly. In Monday assemblies, children are rewarded for their achievements by choosing a book from the Book Vending Machine - reinforcing reading as something joyful, valued and aspirational.

 

“A culture of reading needs to be promoted” -
Reena Patel, Head Teacher

 

 

Giglets: Supporting Multilingual Literacy in Practice

Giglets fits naturally into Kitchener’s inclusive literacy approach.

As a digital library of multilingual books, Giglets provides:

• Access to texts in 40+ languages
• Audio to support comprehension
• Visuals, animations and video to build confidence
• Resources suitable for whole-class reading, GGR and independent learning

 

The school’s very deliberate overlap of literacy and inclusion is further promoted in their use of Giglets. Giglets is a digital library of multilingual books, with tools to support whole class reading, GGR and independent reading. With books across 40 different languages - and audio, illustrations, animations and video to support reading confidence and understanding - Giglets is a powerful tool for supporting reading and inclusion. 

This makes Giglets particularly powerful in a setting where many children are developing English alongside literacy.

 

“Giglets is my favourite website.”
- Yasin, Yr 6 Pupil

 

 

Group Guided Reading with Giglets

During a Year 3 GGR session, pupils worked in mixed groups - some using physical books, others using Giglets. Giglets texts ranged from non-fiction (The Solar System) to classics (Macbeth), demonstrating the platform’s breadth.

Two pupils, Ayaana and Asiya, spoke enthusiastically about Giglets:

• They value the choice of books
• They enjoy reading across genres
• They like to explore more challenging books in the Giglets library
• They recognise the importance of multilingual access

 

“We love reading and we love Giglets!”
- Ayaana and Asiya, Yr3 Pupils

 

As one pupil explained, Giglets is good because books can be “shared with children that don’t speak English very well”.

This is inclusion in action. No stigma, no separation; just shared reading experiences.

 

 

World Stories for a Global Community

Giglets’ World Stories books - traditional tales from cultures around the globe - mirrors Kitchener’s own multicultural ethos. These texts:

• Validate pupils’ cultural backgrounds
• Reinforce cultural diversity as rich and positive
• Spark curiosity and discussion
• Help children see their own stories reflected in learning

In whole-class and guided reading sessions, Giglets enables teachers to maintain high expectations for literacy while ensuring no child is excluded because of language.

 

 

Impact

Giglets supports Kitchener Primary by:

• Enabling access to reading for new-to-English pupils
• Supporting shared literacy experiences across languages
• Reinforcing a culture where every voice is valued
• Aligning seamlessly with the school’s School of Sanctuary values

As Lisette proudly told us, “Giglets is my favourite website.”

There are flags of all the children’s countries in the school’s reception lobby. You can imagine how welcoming this must be for someone like Samuel, who recently came to the school from India, unable to speak a word of English. To see his own country recognised so vividly, the first time he walked into the school - what must this have meant to him?  And how reassuring for his parents, too. Resources like Giglets take this supportive culture right into the classroom.

 

 

Conclusion

Kitchener Primary School’s mantra is eloquent: “We all have a voice. We are all valued.” This is not aspirational. It is operational

As much passion has gone into building an outstanding reading culture, as it has into building a culture of inclusivity. And through the school’s reading programme, these passions overlap beautifully. A resource like Giglets supports inclusion quite seamlessly.

Giglets does not replace great teaching or a strong inclusive ethos. Instead, it amplifies them - providing the tools that allow multilingual learners to access rich, meaningful literacy alongside their peers.

 

“The literature in school reflects our diversity - it is a very conscious investment.”
- Reena Patel, Head Teacher

 

In a school where diversity is the norm, Giglets helps ensure that language is never a barrier to belonging, learning or joy in reading.

 

 

Would you like to use Giglets in your school?

The Giglets library consists of over 2,000 texts across 40+ different languages with supporting resources including higher-order thinking skills questions, reading test questions and cross-curricular tasks. Giglets is ideal for inspiring a love of reading and motivating learners. Support pupils in developing those ever-important comprehension skills with our enhanced texts and accessible reader. To see how Giglets can enhance your literacy provision, contact us today.