Senior Lead Practitioner for English across Ormiston Academies Trust, Janine Metcalfe-Taylor, shares why reading matters and how our schools celebrated World Book Day.
At Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT), World Book Day is one of the most anticipated moments in the school calendar. It’s a chance to celebrate the power of stories, spark imagination and reinforce a lifelong love of reading – something that sits at the heart of our educational mission. With reading being a key education priority for Ormiston, the day also highlights the strong reading culture across our schools.
World Book Day took place on Thursday 5 March 2026 and aligned with the UK’s National Year of Reading. Embracing the message to “Go All In”, our schools championed the theme “If you’re into it, read it,” encouraging pupils to discover reading through the things they already enjoy.
Schools were supported with resources including Book Bingo, a Library Hunt and an exclusive filmed interview with Bookbuzz author Jennifer Killick. At Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy (OSSMA), pupils also had the opportunity to interview Jennifer themselves, discussing creativity and the writing process.
Why reading matters
Reading for purpose and pleasure is a powerful predictor of academic success and emotional wellbeing. It strengthens vocabulary, develops imagination and helps pupils explore new perspectives. At Ormiston, reading sits at the heart of teaching and learning, and World Book Day offers a chance to celebrate how it enriches life beyond the classroom.
How our schools celebrated
Celebrations across our schools were full of creativity and enthusiasm. Many embraced the tradition of dressing up, with pupils and staff transforming into characters from classic and contemporary stories.
At Ormiston Maritime Academy, staff brought story worlds to life in vibrant costumes while pupils took part in a popular Masked Reader challenge.
At George Salter Academy, students voted for the staff dress-up theme, resulting in a colourful mix of characters including Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, Elphaba and Glinda, Minions, Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore, Scrooge and Jacob Marley, and Gandalf with Frodo.
Elsewhere, schools organised a range of creative activities. At Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy, pupils took part in a Guess the Front Cover challenge, while Ormiston Chadwick Academy embraced themed department costumes and welcomed Year 7 pupils into a magical forest-themed library inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Tenbury High Ormiston Academy, Ormiston Denes Academy and Ormiston SWB Academy also hosted lively dress-up celebrations, competitions and shared reading activities.
Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy added a unique twist by linking World Book Day with Careers Week, with staff dressing as spies, cheerleaders, palaeontologists, and air stewards connected to the academy’s Read Aloud text Clap When You Land. Meanwhile, vibrant displays at Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy helped create a full-academy celebration of books. Thirty teams also took part in the Big OAT Secondary Book Quiz.
A celebration that lasts beyond the day
World Book Day 2026 showcased the passion and creativity that characterise reading across our schools. While the costumes and competitions make the day memorable, the real impact lies in the inspiration it sparks – the conversations about books, the confidence pupils gain and the reading habits that continue long after the day ends.