School Improvement Planning with Reading Schools (March 2026)
This is a recording of a March 2026 professional learning session detailing how you can use our Reading Schools accreditation programme to support your school's improvement planning.
The session gives an overview of the benefits of building a reading culture in your school and highlights evidence-based approaches to implement. It will cover how the Reading Schools programme can be integrated into your school's priorities and provide insights on the programme's impact on educational outcomes.
We were joined by guest speakers Professor Sarah McGeown, Professor of Literacy (Psychology & Education) in Moray House School of Education and Sport, and Lyndsay Harvey, Literacy Development Officer in East Dunbartonshire.
This content directly relates to key areas 1.3.1 Whole school action plan, to support the inclusion of reading for pleasure practice in school improvement.
Webinar: School improvement planning with Reading Schools
Presentation: Professor Sarah McGeown (17mins 20secs)
The University of Edinburgh's Professor Sarah McGeown shares research demonstrating the importance of reading for pleasure and the wide-reaching benefits of reading engagement.
Including Reading Schools in your School Improvement Plan (8mins 40secs)
Liam and Emily from Scottish Book Trust discuss why you should include Reading Schools in your school improvement plan and share examples of different ways schools have done this, demonstrating how reading for pleasure is relevant and impactful across both the curriculum and school life.
Presentation: Lyndsay Harvey (33mins 49secs)
Lyndsay Harvey, Literacy Development Officer in East Dunbartonshire, gives insight into how Reading Schools connects to strategic aims in the local authority and the impact she’s seen across schools in terms of attainment. She provides examples of school improvement plans which have integrated Reading Schools and shares top tips for how to build a reading for pleasure culture in settings through a whole school approach.
Related resources
There are other resources that you may also find of interest to support the key area outlined above:
- Use our 'ready to go' presentation templates, like our introducing Reading Schools to your colleagues and introducing Reading Schools assembly presentation templates
- Explore our article on including Reading Schools in your school improvement plans
- Continue surveying your staff, learners and their families to establish your reading priorities
- Explore ways to support your learners to respond to what they are reading for pleasure
- Check out our new community page, to find great practice from fellow schools across Scotland