GO ALL IN: A National Year of Reading 2026 Workshop (KS1 & KS2)
2026 is the UK’s National Year of Reading, and Bigfoot Arts Education is inviting primary schools to Go All In with an unforgettable literacy workshop that turns reading for pleasure into a full-body, story-fuelled adventure. This campaign is all about reconnecting reading with the things children already enjoy — from football and facts to gaming, comics, cooking and culture, and helping every child find a way into books that feels right for them.
GO ALL IN is designed for KS1 and KS2 and works brilliantly as a one-off enrichment day that energises your reading culture, supports oracy, and leaves pupils excited to pick up a book because they want to, not because they have to.
Meet Professor Page Turner… and the Read-O-Tron 3000
Your pupils will meet Professor Paige / Page Turner, a wildly enthusiastic, slightly chaotic inventor with a very serious problem. Their greatest creation, the Read-O-Tron 3000, a machine that holds every book ever written, has jammed!!!
The cause? Reading levels are dropping, and the Read-O-Tron relies on reading to fuel its movement. Without it, the world begins to lose the things that make school communities thrive: communication, wellbeing and empathy. Pupils must step into the story to restore order, using drama, teamwork and imagination to get the machine moving again and bring stories back to life.
It’s playful, high-impact and packed with laughter, but underneath the fun is something genuinely powerful: children discovering that reading connects us, strengthens us, and helps us understand one another.
A literacy workshop that builds confidence and reading identity
GO ALL IN is delivered through a sequence of immersive, drama-based activities that help pupils explore what reading means to them personally. Children uncover the “stories within” using improvisation, role-play, invention and collaborative tasks that champion pupil voice.
This workshop is especially effective for schools working to improve reading for pleasure, because it validates all kinds of reading and all kinds of readers. Whether pupils love football stats, graphic novels, mysteries, animals, adventure, jokes, poems, comics or cookbooks, the message is the same: all reading counts.
“If you’re into it… read into it!”
That simple shift unlocks a new relationship with books, particularly for pupils who may not yet see themselves as readers.
Why schools choose GO ALL IN
Headteachers and Literacy Leads tell us they want opportunities that build excitement around reading while also strengthening oracy, collaboration and classroom culture. GO ALL IN supports those priorities by blending creative storytelling with purposeful learning outcomes.
Through the world of the Read-O-Tron, pupils explore how reading helps us speak, listen, connect, regulate emotions, build empathy and imagine beyond our own experience. The workshop creates a shared experience that teachers can return to again and again in class, making it an ideal springboard for reading corners, book talk, genre exploration and pupil-led reading initiatives.
Perfect for a one-off day… or part of a year-long reading celebration
GO ALL IN can be booked as a one-off workshop day for KS1 or KS2, ideal for launching your National Year of Reading focus, supporting a book week, or giving your reading culture a vibrant boost at any point in the calendar.
If you’re planning something bigger, Bigfoot also offers a full year of National Year of Reading 2026 workshops and creative experiences across the calendar, giving schools multiple opportunities to keep the momentum going throughout the year. You can explore the full programme HERE
Book GO ALL IN for your school
If you’re ready to kick-start a joyful reading buzz, boost pupil confidence, and help children experience reading as something living, social and exciting, GO ALL IN is the workshop to bring to your school.
To check availability, pricing and travel areas, get in touch with Bigfoot Arts Education and let’s help your pupils fuel the Read-O-Tron 3000, one brilliant book at a time!
