How did literacy in schools develop? There is a wide range of literature presenting the importance of developing strong literacy skills to prepare students for their future lives. Literacy is not only directly linked to employability, an obvious area where young people need to bring effective communication skills, but also to functioning in everyday life, hence the term "functional literacy » (Gordon, 2007). However, I would also connect high levels of literacy to research on literacy as inseparable from social justice and democracy (see Cox, cited in Gordon, 2007). If we are not able to communicate effectively with the world we live in and thereby contribute to the decisions that affect our lives and those of the people around us, we will never be able to realize our potential as global citizens. In recent years, the emphasis on literacy development in schools has increased significantly. Following a renewed interest in literacy in primary schools brought about by the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy (DfEE, 1998a), secondary schools have also felt the impact of the Secondary Education Review 1993-97 (DfEE, 1998b), a publication which was well received. recognition of the progress in literacy that needed to be made by secondary schools (Lewis and Wray, 2000). However, this emphasis on the importance of developing literacy skills in the literature may be linked to the publication of the Bullock Report (Lewis and Wray, 2000), in which the historical context highlights the deficit in English language proficiency by many adults. .Since the publication of the aforementioned strategies and analyses, numerous initiatives promoting literacy in secondary schools have been implemented...... middle of paper ...... in recent years (Logan and Johnston , 2009), a question that is particularly relevant when considering the aforementioned literature dealing with boys' reading habits and outcomes. As such, this study aims to focus on boys' literacy development, particularly in relation to reading for pleasure: namely the ways in which it is promoted and developed within school, as well as as the attitude and motivation of boys towards this skill. In order to obtain data regarding the views of teachers and students regarding the effectiveness of literacy strategies throughout the curriculum, the main research methods used in this study are interviews, questionnaires and focus groups. discussion. Following data analysis, I will then discuss future recommendations for the school's literacy initiatives and reflect on my own professional development in light of the findings..