Outreach

Reading for pleasure can transform children’s lives. Literacy is the single biggest factor in promoting social mobility and reading for pleasure is one of the most important indicators of a child’s future success and educational attainment.

When a child loves reading, they will do better at school and have improved mental wellbeing. That’s why our outreach programme is focused on helping the children in our community to love books, and helping schools to instil a reading culture.

The Young Readers Programme

We work in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and Cranleigh CofE Primary on a year round Young Readers Programme. The scheme motivates children to read for enjoyment by involving them in fun, creative reading-related events that promote book choice and book ownership and help them to become lifelong readers.

Children learn to identify and articulate authors, genres, and styles they enjoy and develop their own reading identities as a result. They use these skills to select free new books of their choice to keep and take home. Research shows that this element of personal choice is essential – even reluctant and struggling readers are more motivated when they get to choose the book themselves. The programme also provides training for teaching staff, enabling them to become more skilled and confident in delivering reading for enjoyment practices and support reluctant readers.

Awesome Book Awards

“Thank you so much for organising such a fantastic award scheme. I can see (especially from a recent school visit) that it plays a huge role in inspiring kids to love books.” Winner of 2023 Awards Kate Gilby Smith

The Awesome Book Awards is a prize that honours the best new fiction authors for young readers aged between 7 and 10. It is an annual competition run by Cranleigh Schools. To be eligible for The Awesome Book Awards prize, titles have to be a UK-based author’s debut novel, suitable for able readers in the listed age group, appealing to both boys and girls, and available in paperback. Thousands of pupils from schools across the South East read the whole shortlist and then vote for their favourite overall.

For more information on the Awesome Book Awards, and to watch the film of this year’s authors, head to www.awesomebookawards.com.

Vision for Literacy

We’ve committed to tackling the UK’s literacy challenge by becoming one of the 96 businesses across the country who signed the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge 2023.

To find out more about the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge 2023 visit this page

Performance

Our vision for cultural engagement includes offering the opportunity for local schools to enjoy theatre productions. This year’s highlights included a performance of Beegu and a special showing of our own prep school musical Seussical. This year we’re working with storyteller Danyah Miller on a theatre event based on a Michael Morpurgo story – I Believe in Unicorns