On Friday 19th June at 2pm, something special happened across REAch2 Academy Trust.
Classrooms fell quiet, offices paused and corridors slowed as more than 20,000 children and 3,000 colleagues took part in one simple task. They dropped everything and read!
Held as part of the Trust’s National Year of Reading activities during 2026, this became one of the largest Trust-wide moments delivered across REAch2, second only to our 10-year anniversary colour run held in 2022.
What made this moment stand out was not just its scale, but the shared sense of purpose behind it. Across schools and central teams, wherever people were, they paused at the same time to make space for reading.
The idea itself was shaped by pupil voice. Children from our schools shared that while they enjoy reading, they do not always have enough opportunity to talk about books or share that experience with others. Drop Everything and Read was designed as a simple but meaningful response, creating time for stories, conversation and connection.
Reading plays a vital role in every child’s development. Beyond literacy, it supports confidence, strengthens communication and helps children to understand the world around them. Through books, children encounter new ideas, perspectives and experiences that build empathy and broaden horizons.
It also underpins success across the curriculum. Children who read regularly are more likely to develop strong language skills and achieve well in school. For many, particularly those facing disadvantage, developing a love of reading can be a key factor in opening up future opportunities.
At REAch2, creating a culture where reading is valued, shared and enjoyed sits at the heart of its educational approach. Through our 11 Before 11 promises- a set of experiences that every child is entitled to before leaving primary school, the Trust aims to inspire curiosity, build confidence and nurture a lifelong love of learning. Bringing thousands of readers together at the same moment reflects this commitment in action.
Cathie Paine, CEO of REAch2 Academy Trust, said:
“Moments like this reflect what makes REAch2 so special. When our schools come together with a shared purpose, the impact is powerful and far-reaching.
Reading is fundamental to a child’s success, but it is also a source of joy, imagination and connection. Seeing so many children and colleagues take part at the same time was a wonderful reminder of the role reading plays in bringing our community together.
We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm shown across our schools and the way this moment captured the spirit of our Trust.”
Martin Henson, Head of English at REAch2 Academy Trust said:
“At REAch2, reading is part of our core business. As primary specialists, we know how important cementing positive reading habits is to children’s lifelong wellbeing as well as their academic success. We have a pretty good record of improving reading attainment across our schools, but we know that is only one part of the picture.
Our children tell us that they enjoy reading and choose to read for pleasure at home in higher proportions than at national level. They also tell us that they would like more time to discuss their reading choices, to share books with friends, and to engage in the type of informal ‘book talk’ that we know drives positive reading habits for life.
At REAch2, we’re one big family and we like doing things together, so we decided to harness this energy to reinvigorate our reading culture and celebrate the power of reading for reading’s sake. We all dropped everything and read. But we didn’t just read, we shared books, we talked about books and we had a thoroughly nice time doing so.
As part of our 11 Before 11 promises to our children, we aim to set and break REAch2 records. We definitely set a new one for number of people reading simultaneously, and now we have the opportunity to break that record next year!
It was a really fantastic day and to see how much the children enjoyed it, and how the adults committed both in school and across all of our teams, was a real privilege – one I won’t forget.”
REAch2 is proud of the commitment shown by its schools, pupils and staff, and of the collective effort to place reading at the heart of everyday school life.
