Responding to a new National Literacy Trust survey which found the number of children in the UK reading daily in their free time has risen for the first time in five years, Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Reading is crucial in laying the foundations for children to learn and thrive, and it’s important that a love of reading is fostered both at home and in school.

“It is pleasing to see this year-on-year increase in children’s enjoyment of reading – now the challenge is to sustain and build on this. At NAHT’s annual conference last month school leaders unanimously supported a motion calling on the government to make a statutory commitment to sustained investment in literacy beyond this National Year of Reading and to guarantee equal access to high-quality print and digital resources for every pupil.

“They also backed calls for funded professional development for all school staff to embed reading for pleasure in the classroom, for a culture of reading to be fostered beyond the school gates through family and community engagement, and for ministers to support innovative partnerships to re-engage children with reading.

“While many school leaders and teachers will recognise the challenges posed by the distraction of screentime and a lack of reading at home, they also raise concerns that opportunities to read for pleasure have been squeezed out of the curriculum.

“We hope the review of programmes of study following the government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review will give schools the space to make genuine decisions on their wider curriculum and free up more time for pupils to read for enjoyment.

“Alongside this, the family hubs being rolled out by the government, present an ideal opportunity to promote the importance of parents reading to children, and offer support with this, as well as help accessing books.”