This year, we are proud to be taking part in the National Year of Reading, a government-led initiative aimed at putting reading back at the heart of children’s lives. The campaign recognises that reading for pleasure plays a vital role in children’s development — supporting academic success, vocabulary growth, wellbeing, imagination and confidence. Nationally, concerns have been raised about a decline in reading enjoyment and stamina following the disruption of recent years, and the National Year of Reading has been introduced to reignite a love of books and storytelling.

At High Meadow, we already have a strong reading culture that we are incredibly proud of. Our children read widely, talk confidently about books and are developing into enthusiastic, thoughtful readers through the many reading experiences we already offer. Being involved in the National Year of Reading allows us to shine a light on the fantastic readers we have, celebrate what we already do well, and further embed our reading culture through a range of carefully planned events and experiences across the year. Our aim is to build on this strong foundation and continue to nurture a lifelong love of reading for every child.

Please see below for an overview of the exciting reading activities and events we have planned for different year groups throughout the year.

January

Visit to BRMB Radio – A small group of children took part in a live radio visit to BRMB after successfully auditioning for the opportunity. With so many children keen to be involved, it was a very difficult decision to narrow this down. The children represented the school brilliantly and helped launch our National Year of Reading celebrations.

February

Year 4 Reading Challenge – Year 4 will be taking part in a dedicated reading challenge, run by Warwickshire Library Service, designed to encourage reading for pleasure, stamina and discussion around texts.

National Storytelling Week – Throughout the week, all children will enjoy storytelling sessions in the library, celebrating the power of spoken stories and imagination.

Reception – Stories and Puppets with Mrs Jones. Reception children will explore the story of The Three Little Pigs through puppetry, bringing characters to life and developing language, creativity and confidence.

March

Literary Festival – Our school Literary Festival will celebrate books, authors and storytelling across the whole school, with a range of activities planned throughout the week.

World Book Day – Design a Book Cover. A whole-school competition giving children the opportunity to showcase their creativity and love of books through illustration and design.

Year 3 – Stories Under the Stars. Year 3 will enjoy a magical storytelling experience, listening to stories in the cosy, atmospheric setting of Forest School.

Year 5 – Performing Poetry Picnic. Year 5 will explore performance poetry in an outdoor picnic-style event, focusing on expression, rhythm and confidence.

Nursery and Squirrels – Storytime Fun with Kael Tudor. Our youngest children will enjoy an engaging storytelling session filled with fun, interaction and imagination.

Year 1 – Storytime and Draw Along with the author of The Flower Thief. Year 1 will listen to a story and take part in a guided drawing session inspired by the book.

Year 6 – Fractured Fairy Tales. Year 6 will explore and reimagine traditional fairy tales, developing creativity, writing skills and storytelling techniques.

April

Year 2 – Storytelling and Writing Workshop with author Grace O’Malley, author of City Kitty. Children will take part in a creative workshop focusing on storytelling and writing, inspired by the author’s work.

May

Librarian Visit to the Peak District – ‘Reading Down the Mine’. Children will take part in a unique reading experience linked to history and place, bringing books to life in an unusual and memorable setting.