The Surrey Education Partnership Board met on 5th February to discuss how schools and settings are supporting the National Year of Reading, which closely aligns with the SEP’s priority to strengthen communication, language and literacy.

Representatives from the Early Years Phase Council and Primary Phase Council highlighted a rich range of activities already underway, all designed to nurture a lifelong love of reading and strengthen children’s language development.

Celia Wand, Headteacher at Horsell Junior School, outlined the work taking place across the primary phase to embed reading at the heart of school life. They are focusing on:

• Dedicated, consistent reading time
• A strong emphasis on reading for pleasure
• Staff modelling high engagement with books
• Creating literature‑rich environments around the school

Horsell Junior School is also strengthening communication and vocabulary through:

• Word of the Week
• Targeted literacy and phonics support
• Encouraging parents and carers to get involved through family learning sessions
• Enrichment events

One particularly creative approach is last year’s World Book Day theme. Instead of dressing as book characters, the theme was ‘Silent Letter Day’, with pupils dressing up as words with silent letters to avoid costly book character costumes and ensure the day is inclusive and equitable for all families. This allowed for creativity and a range of different outfits.

Donna Harwood‑Duffy, Headteacher at Dorking Nursery School, shared how Early Years settings are weaving reading into daily routines and playful learning. Highlights include:

• Strong partnerships with local libraries, including regular visits for two‑year‑olds
• Promoting and attending Rhymetime sessions at local libraries
• Clear expectations around caring for books, with all books travelling home in book bags
• Using play to bring stories to life and deepen children’s engagement
• Participation in national events such as National Nursery Rhyme Week and Pyjama Rama
• Encouraging male role models to share stories in school
• Celebrating mother‑tongue books to reflect children’s identities and home languages
• Links with Arsenal FC, helping to promote reading in fun and relatable ways

These approaches are helping children build early language skills, develop confidence with books and see reading as a joyful, shared experience.

The National Year of Reading provides a powerful opportunity for Surrey’s schools and settings to work together in championing literacy. The examples shared at the Surrey Education Partnership meeting show the creativity, commitment and collaboration across the county – from nurturing early communication to inspiring older pupils to read widely and with enthusiasm.

Surrey’s education community is united in its ambition: to ensure every child develops the language, confidence and curiosity that reading unlocks.

Find out more about the National Year of Reading here: https://goallin.org.uk/