Beyond books

How librarians drive forward a love of literacy 

There is no greater way to inspire a child’s imagination than through stories. Each book offers something different – whether they’re immersing themselves in another world or discovering similarities between themselves and their new favourite character, each read sparks a sense of curiosity that cannot be taught. At Fairfield, we place reading strongly at the core of our curriculum, endeavouring to encourage a love of reading for pleasure amongst our pupils and to help develop in them healthy long-term reading habits that will last a lifetime. 

The Year of Reading 

2026 is the Year of Reading – a Department for Education initiative that aims to address the UK’s declining reading rates – and I believe it has never been more important to equip our young people with this valuable life skill, especially from an early age. Increasingly, children are surrounded by distraction in the form of technology, and the challenge is not that the technology exists, but that it now occupies so much of the time that used to be filled with imaginative activities such as reading.  

Results from the National Literacy Trust’s most recent Annual Literacy Survey show that 36.1% of children and young people said they enjoyed reading in their free time. It is difficult not to assume that the remaining 63.9% likely gave answers linked to screen time. 

During the 2026 Summer term, we conducted our own reading survey here at Fairfield, designed to enable us to better understand our pupils’ attitudes towards reading. The survey, which was completed by 323 children across Years 1 to 6, painted something different from the national picture. 91% of children in Years 1 to 6 said ‘they like reading’ and 97% agreed that ‘reading is an important life skill.’ 

I came to be a Librarian here at Fairfield through my own love of reading, so the reading survey results make me feel privileged to be able to play a part in driving forward the School’s passion for books. My aim is always to support the continued development and love of reading throughout Fairfield.

Cultivating healthy reading habits 

Promoting a passion for reading begins at the very start of a child’s journey at Fairfield, as our youngest pupils in Kindergarten and Reception enjoy listening to stories every day. This early exposure to the concept of reading boosts brain development, helping young children to expand their vocabulary with every story as they are introduced to new words and ideas. 

In the Upper Prep, a programme called Accelerated Reader ensures the pupils’ love of books is nurtured at every stage of their educational development. The digital platform guides pupils in choosing their own books from a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles, graphic novels and audiobooks, all within their individual reading range. Pupils are motivated to read daily, build greater reading stamina and develop comprehension skills by completing short quizzes about each book they read. This helps teachers to understand how well pupils understood both the vocabulary they encountered and the book’s plot, all contributing to each pupil’s individual reading target for the term. 

A Library for everyone 

We are fortunate to have two libraries here at Fairfield – with one catering to Pre-Prep and one for Upper Prep – and I pride myself on making sure that they are warm and welcoming spaces with a calm atmosphere. 

The reading survey asked the children to rank their favourite activities from a list of six different options, including playing with toys, playing video games and watching TV. It is incredibly rewarding to see that reading ranked second place amongst our pupils, only following playing outside. 

This positive response is reflected in how pupils use our library. At any time during the school day, children can independently choose, scan and issue their own books, and during break and lunchtime, the Library is open for them to quietly enjoy the relaxing environment. The Library is also open after school, until 17:00, for children, accompanied by their parents or carers, to enjoy a story or complete homework in a quiet and calming space. 

A collective approach 

Last term also saw us build stronger connections between all three Librarians at Loughborough Schools Foundation as we introduced some new initiatives to increase collaboration across the campus. Senior school pupils from Loughborough Grammar School and Loughborough High School have designed and painted murals for our newly redecorated library, for example, making it an even more vibrant and enticing space. 

A particular highlight was the Year 8 reading buddies’ scheme, which invited pupils from both Loughborough Nursery and Fairfield’s Kindergarten to the Loughborough Grammar Library for a very special story time. Year 8 pupils read a story to the children, using inventive props to bring the words to life. It was a magical experience not only for the children, but for us as librarians. Opportunities for younger children to learn from their older peers strengthen an enriching reading culture at LSF that is not an optional extra but deeply embedded in all aspects of a pupil’s journey throughout the Foundation. 

Turning the Year of Reading into a lifetime of reading 

Across all areas of a Fairfield education, the aim is to inspire a lifelong love of learning, and I believe that, for most, this passion is deep-rooted in reading. Stories are often the first way in which children interpret the world and, as a Librarian, it’s incredibly special to be able to support and nurture our pupils’ continued love of reading. If I could tell our pupils just one thing, it would be to never give up reading. Not only is it the foundation for thriving in education, but it is also a lifelong and rewarding source of inspiration, curiosity and creativity.