At West Thurrock Academy, we believe that reading is one of the most powerful tools for learning, imagination and personal growth. Reading opens doors to new worlds, develops vocabulary and communication skills, builds knowledge across the curriculum and fosters a lifelong love of learning. As part of our commitment to ensuring every child becomes a confident and enthusiastic reader, we are delighted to celebrate the National Year of Reading with an exciting programme of events and experiences throughout the year.
We will begin in January with our Year of Reading Launch, setting the stage for twelve months of reading-focused activities and opportunities. Throughout the year, pupils will have the chance to meet inspiring authors and illustrators including Christian Foley, Colin Stuart and Sophy Henn, bringing books and stories to life through engaging workshops, presentations and visits.
A key part of our Year of Reading programme is the opportunity for children to work directly with visiting authors and illustrators. Children who participate in these workshops will receive a signed copy of one of the author's books, creating a lasting connection between the child, the author and the joy of reading. This forms part of our ongoing West Thurrock Academy Home Library Pledge - a commitment to providing every child with a free book each academic year from an author they have met. Through this initiative, children build their own personal library at home while developing meaningful relationships with books and reading. By the time pupils complete their full learning journey with us, they will leave with a collection of eight books from eight different authors they have met ensuring they take with them not only treasured memories but also a library of books that have inspired them throughout their time at West Thurrock Academy.
Our commitment to developing a love of reading begins from the very start of a child's educational journey. Through our Free Nursery Reading Subscription, every Nursery child will receive a free book each month throughout the Year of Reading. This initiative ensures that all children have regular access to high-quality books at home, regardless of their circumstances. By removing economic and access barriers, we can support families in sharing stories together and help children develop the language, communication and early literacy skills that form the foundation of future reading success. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to grow up surrounded by books and our Nursery Reading Subscription reflects our commitment to giving all children the strongest possible start as readers.
Our Year of Reading calendar is packed with opportunities to celebrate reading in all its forms. Highlights include author visits, library experiences, poetry events, reading challenges and whole-school celebrations:
- January – Year of Reading Launch
- February – Author Visit: Christian Foley
- March – Reception Library Visit, Whole School Performance Poetry Competition, Author Visit: Colin Stuart, World Book Day celebrations including dress-up day and a special themed menu
- April – DEAR (Drop Everything and Read)
- May – Author and Illustrator Visit: Sophy Henn
- June – WTA Reading Challenge begins
- July – WTA Reading Challenge ends, Library Card Sign-Up Competition, Extreme Reading Competition begins
- August – Local Summer Reading Challenge
- September – Extreme Reading Competition ends, Roald Dahl Story Day
- October – National Poetry Day
- November – Non-Fiction November
- December – Bedtime Stories Event and Santa's Big Read
From poetry and storytelling to author workshops and reading challenges, every event has been carefully planned to inspire curiosity, creativity and a genuine enjoyment of reading. By placing reading at the heart of school life, we aim to nurture confident readers, strengthen literacy skills and create a community where books are celebrated and shared.
The Year of Reading is more than a programme of events; it is a reflection of our belief that every child deserves access to books, opportunities to engage with authors and the chance to develop a lifelong love of reading. Through our Nursery Reading Subscription, our Home Library Pledge and our year-long calendar of reading experiences, we are investing in the readers of today and the learners of tomorrow.