Further Reading: Deepen Your Understanding, Broaden Your Horizons
At St Edward’s we believe that learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Our Further Reading Lists are carefully curated to help you explore your subjects in greater depth, spark curiosity, and develop independent thinking — qualities that are essential for success both in and beyond school.
These books, articles, and resources go beyond the core syllabus, offering new perspectives, challenging ideas, and real-world connections. Whether you're aiming for top grades, preparing for university, or simply want to understand more about the world, this reading will deepen your knowledge and sharpen your thinking.
Reading beyond the curriculum isn’t just optional — it’s transformative. Choose something that intrigues you, and see where it takes you.
Suggested KS4 Further Reading (Maths):
- Alex’s Adventures in Numberland – Alex Bellos
- The Number Devil – Hans Magnus Enzensberger
- The Man Who Knew Infinity – Robert Kanigel
- Fermat’s Last Theorem – Simon Singh
Alongside these, students may also enjoy:
- BBC Radio 4’s More or Less (podcast)
- Steven Strogatz’s The Joy of x (also available as an audiobook)
- Paul Lockhart’s essay A Mathematician’s Lament
Geography and Geology Reading List Key Stage 3 and 4 1.0
- Marshall, T., 2016. Prisoners of geography: ten maps that explain everything about the world. Simon and Schuster.
→ superb for global economic change and social inequalities.
- Kuper, S. and Szymanski, S., 2018. Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the US, Japan, Australia, Turkey--and Even Iraq--are Destined to Become the Kings of the World's Most Popular Sport. Hachette UK.
→ excellent examples of how the power of sport is a vehicle to discuss geographical concepts and case studies.
- McGuire, B., 2013. Waking the giant: How a changing climate triggers earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. Oxford University Press.
→ amazing for plate tectonics and the future of hazards.
- Rosling, H., 2019. Factfulness. Sceptre.
→ Development, sustainability and conflict: a tour de force of the 21st centuries’ contemporary challenges.
- Thomas, M., 2009. Belching out the devil: global adventures with Coca-Cola. Bold Type Books.
→ Globalisation: the impacts of a TNC – the good, the bad and the ugly!
Reading List Design Technology KS3 and 4
Design thinking
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A Norman
9780262525671
The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful appeal for good design, and a reminder of how -- and why -- some products satisfy while others only disappoint.
Design History
Design of the 20th Century by Charlotte & Peter Fiell
ISBN 9783836541060
From furniture to graphics, it’s all here―the work of artists who have shaped and re-created the modern world with a dizzying variety of materials. From the organic to the geometric, from Art Deco, through to Pop and High-Tech, this book contains all the great names―Harry Bertoia, De Stijl, Dieter Rams, Philippe Starck, Charles and Ray Eames, to name only a very few.
Fashion Design
Fashion That Changed the World by Jennifer Croll
ISBN 3791347896
Arranged by topic, the lavishly illustrated chapters explore themes such as war and the military; ready-to wear; fashion in film, art, and sports; celebrity; gay and lesbian fashion; globalization and the internet. Fashion That Changed the World digs into a multitude of social, economic and cultural factors that changed the course of fashion over the last few hundred years.
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton
ISBN-10 : 03001697
Celebrating the astounding creativity and originality of designer Alexander McQueen, who relentlessly questioned and confronted the requisites of fashion
Sustainable Design
GOOD By DESIGN by Victionary
ISBN: 978-9887972778
GOOD by DESIGN collates the best projects and insights to inspire not only those who wish to do good, but also hope for all in a better tomorrow.
DESIGN(H)ERS: A Celebration of Women in Design Today by Victionary
ISBN-10 : 9887903329
DESIGN(H)ERS is a stunning showcase of 30 female talents spanning across a variety of design mediums to highlight the diversity that women bring to their respective fields.
Food Technology
All About Food - Helen McGrath
Oxford University Press
ISBN 0 19 832767 6
Food & Nutrition - Anita Tull
Oxford University Press
ISBN 0 19 832768 4
The Theory of Hospitality and Catering Thirteenth Edition
by David Foskett (Author), Patricia Paskins (Author), Andrew Pennington (Author), & 1
ISBN-10 9781471865237
Reading to broaden the mind
Religious Educations Department
- YouCat: Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church – clear, student-friendly introduction to Catholic teaching.
- Laudato Si’ (Pope Francis) – short sections on faith, creation, and caring for the planet.
- Confessions (St Augustine, abridged extracts) – a personal journey of searching for God.
- The Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis) – creative letters from a senior devil to a junior, exploring temptation and faith.
- The Puzzle of Ethics (Peter Vardy) – accessible discussion of moral dilemmas (useful for GCSE/RE themes).
- Night (Elie Wiesel) – memoir of the Holocaust, raises deep questions on suffering and faith.
- I Am Malala (Malala Yousafzai) – courage, education, justice, and standing up for belief.
