To celebrate the 2026 National Year of Reading, we are delighted to introduce the Castle Hill Reading Calendar for 2026.
Across the year, every month will feature an exciting, themed reading initiative, designed to spark curiosity, inspire enthusiasm and place reading firmly at the heart of school life. Each initiative will be launched with the children in a whole-school assembly at the start of the month, ensuring everyone understands the focus, feels excited and is motivated to take part.
The aim is simple but powerful: if something fun, meaningful and engaging is happening with reading every month, children are far more likely to choose to read for pleasure. This is more important than ever, as current national statistics around reading for enjoyment are concerning:
Just one in three children and young people (32.7%) aged 8–18 report enjoying reading in their free time — a 36% decrease since 2005.
Only one in five (18.7%) say they read something daily for pleasure — a 51% drop from 2005 levels.
Through the Castle Hill Reading Calendar, we hope to reverse this trend by building excitement, shared experiences, and positive reading habits that extend beyond the classroom.
Any support you can offer from home will make a huge difference, and we are incredibly grateful for your continued encouragement. Further information about each monthly event will be shared as they approach.
Together, we can help make 2026 a year where reading truly comes alive ✨????