The More a Child Reads, The More They Grow

Dear Felsted families,

I cannot say how much joy today has brought to our Felsted community. The entire Prep School gathered together to celebrate World Book Day by parading at the very front of Felsted School in the glorious sunshine.
 

Pupils from Reception to Year 8 in fancy dress for World Book Day 2026

Thank you to all our families who, every year, help to bring reading to the forefront of our minds. This global event is celebrated by children and adults alike. (Indeed, if anyone was listening to Radio 2 this morning, you may have heard the presenters discussing their own costumes!)

Reading remains the most important aspect of education; the more a child reads, the more they grow across all areas of learning. My hope for our Felsted families remains that we set ourselves personal challenges to read with our children for as long as possible. When the bedtime story evolves into independent reading, I hope that we continue to discuss the books our children read and share the excitement that comes from finding a book that stays with you, changes you, and moves you.

How often do your children see you read?

Modelling behaviours as the adults who inspire our youngest learners is vital to their success. I hope that today serves as a reminder to pick up the book that you have been meaning to read. In a busy world, we must make time to protect our love of reading. Thank you to you all for working with our team of educators to support the work they do each and every day.

I also want to reach out to our community and with some advice that, as a team, we have shared today.

Given the recent global unrest, we recognise that this may be a sensitive and difficult time for many in our community. We are particularly mindful of those families who have friends or loved ones currently overseas; our thoughts are with you, and we are here to support your children through any anxiety they may be feeling.

In school, we are striking a careful balance to support our youngest learners. To protect the well-being of our youngest pupils who may not be aware of the news, we will not be raising these topics proactively in class. As always, we will continue to focus on their school learning experience, and our priority remains maintaining a safe, calm environment for every child. However, our team is prepared to listen with empathy and provide age-appropriate reassurance should any student wish to ask questions or share their worries.

For those looking for guidance on how to navigate these conversations at home, we recommend this resource: 
How to talk to your children about conflict and war | UNICEF Parenting. 

There are a number of websites and support materials available; again, please let your class teacher know if further help would be useful.

With many warm wishes to you all,

Miranda Norris