Reigniting Reading for Pleasure: Empowering Schools with LoveReading

This session is for teachers, literacy leads, librarians, English departments, and senior leaders looking to revive reading-for-pleasure in their schools.

Deborah Maclaren, Chief Executive of LoveReading4Kids, will introduce the newly relaunched LoveReading4Schools portal - a free, national platform helping schools boost reading engagement through book recommendations, fundraisers, wishlists, and community involvement. We'll also hear from Sana Siddiq, an experienced primary teacher, about her experience of using the portal.

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Understand the current landscape of children’s reading enjoyment and its links to wellbeing.
• Explore how LoveReading4Schools supports schools with tools to encourage and fund reading for pleasure.
• Learn practical ways to engage parents, carers, and local communities in supporting school libraries.
• Be inspired to create and share their own reading lists and fundraising goals.
• Gain confidence in embedding a sustainable reading-for-pleasure culture.

Before the session

• Participant challenge: Set up your free school account on LoveReading4Schools, create one year-group reading list, and create a wishlist of books you’d like gifted.
• Read this blog post “Why Reading for Pleasure Still Matters”.

After the webinar, you'll receive the recording of the webinar; a list of suggested further reading; and a series of reflection questions/writing prompts to support you in linking the content of the webinar back in to your practice.

Speakers

Deborah MacLaren is the Chief Executive of LoveReading and LoveReading4Kids, the UK’s leading book recommendation sites and online bookstore with social purpose. She leads a purpose-driven business with a mission to get more books into the hands of children who need them most. Deborah has over a decade of governance experience across education and charity sectors as a long-standing school governor, Chair, and trustee. Passionate about literacy and social impact, she has led the transformation of LoveReading4Schools into a national Reading for Pleasure portal supporting 14,000+ UK schools. Deborah’s work champions collaboration between schools, families, and communities - believing that reading for pleasure is the single most powerful lever for lifelong learning and wellbeing. deborah@lovereading.co.uk

Sana Siddiq is an experienced Primary Teacher and educational leader with over a decade of experience in UK and international schools. She combines classroom expertise with a strong focus on inclusive, values-driven learning that empowers every child to succeed. Holding a Master’s in Teaching and Learning and a PGCE with a SEND specialism, Sana has led projects on the importance of English reading and the implementation of High-Performance Learning (HPL) strategies, fostering cognitive growth, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning. A passionate advocate for holistic education, wellbeing, and leadership development, she contributes to DEI in Education publications and guest podcasts, sharing insights on building high-performing, equitable, and supportive learning communities.

LoveReading4Schools is the free, national Reading for Pleasure portal powered by LoveReading4Kids, the UK’s leading children’s book recommendation brand. Supporting over 14,000 schools, it provides expertly curated booklists, fundraising tools, wishlists, and community donation features - helping schools build a thriving reading culture and get the right books into children’s hands. Every book purchased through the LoveReading platforms donates 25% back to schools.

Because reading matters. And books change lives.

www.LoveReading.co.uk | www.LoveReading4Kids.co.uk