Reading Community Event 2026

Our online Reading Community Event will take place on Thursday 5th February from 4.00pm to 5.00pm.

This event is designed to share how we support and develop students reading at school, and to offer practical guidance on how parents and carers can support their reading at home. Reading is central to success across the curriculum, and we are keen to work in partnership with families to build confident, engaged readers.

During the session, you will hear from:

• the Curriculum Leader for English

• the Deputy Curriculum Leader and KS3 Lead for English

• the School Librarian

We will outline:

• how reading is taught and supported across the school

• how reading is assessed and how progress is monitored

• how we promote a culture of reading for pleasure

• how we have assessed KS3 and KS4 students’ reading ages using Sparx, and how reading ages are now reported home on KS3 reports

• how to understand what reading age data means and how it is used to support students’ progress

• the online platforms we use to support reading, including Sparx Reader and ReadTheory

• recommended reading material for different ages and interests

• how students can access high-quality reading materials through school and their local library

• the government’s new initiative in 2026 – the UK’s ‘National Year of Reading’

We will also explore how reading supports spelling accuracy and vocabulary development, and how families can help students build these skills at home in manageable, effective ways.

Research consistently shows that strong reading skills underpin success in every subject. Students with secure reading comprehension are better able to access exam questions, understand subject-specific vocabulary, and retain new knowledge across subjects including the Sciences, Humanities, and Mathematics. Broader research indicates that regular reading and literacy activities are associated with improved mental health outcomes - readers are thus significantly more likely to report better sleep, feelings of happiness, reduced loneliness, and lower anxiety than non-readers.

The event will conclude by 5pm and will include a range of practical strategies you can use at home to support your daughter’s reading, regardless of her current reading level or confidence. It will also be a valuable opportunity to ask questions and better understand how reading is assessed and supported in school.

If you would like to attend, please sign up using the Microsoft Form. This will help us plan the event effectively. Here is the form: https://forms.office.com/e/D8Rv0bcMQr.

Please complete by Monday 2^nd February. You will be sent the Teams link via email after signing up.

We very much hope you are able to join us and look forward to working together to support our students’ reading development.