Last week, Inspire Education Trust proudly hosted a National Year of Reading event at Blue Coat School, bringing together pupils from across the Trust for a day focused on the power of books, creativity and storytelling.

The event welcomed all Year 5 pupils from across the Trust for a morning session, followed by an afternoon session for Year 7 pupils. In total, pupils from every Inspire school came together to take part in an engaging and memorable experience designed to deepen their understanding of how books are created.

The sessions were led by bestselling author Adam Kay and illustrator Henry Paker, who delivered an inspiring masterclass exploring how writing and illustration work together to create the books we know and love. Drawing on their popular Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor series, Adam and Henry shared insights into their creative process, from initial ideas through to finished illustrations.

Pupils thoroughly enjoyed seeing the process brought to life and watching a book take shape in front of them. The sessions sparked curiosity, laughter and thoughtful questions, helping to demystify the journey from blank page to published book and inspiring pupils to see themselves as readers, writers and creators.

Bringing pupils together from across all Inspire schools is no small undertaking, but the event proved to be well worth the effort. It was a pleasure to see pupils learning alongside one another, sharing excitement and developing a shared enthusiasm for reading and storytelling.

The Trust is extremely grateful to Persimmon Homes, whose sponsorship enabled coach travel from each of our seven primary schools, ensuring that all pupils were able to attend and take part.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our Central Teams, Deborah Texeira from Kenilworth Books, Penguin Roundhouse Publishing, and to Adam Kay and Henry Paker for their generosity, time and enthusiasm in making this event possible.

Events like this play a vital role in inspiring a lifelong love of reading and supporting our commitment to high-quality literacy experiences for all pupils across Inspire Education Trust.