A new chapter: making World Book Day an occasion for everyone

Schools work really hard to provide enriching experiences for their pupils, from trips and clubs to leavers’ celebrations. However, parents and children have told us through our UK Cost of the School Day project that fun activities at school often have hidden and unrecognised costs. This can mean children from low-income families miss out.

Sometimes they miss out on World Book Day, an important event on many school calendars which aims to promote and encourage reading among all children. In some schools World Book Day brings more expense, with expectations of costumes, donations and money to buy books at book fairs. For families already finding things difficult financially, some World Book Day activities add to the pressure they face or mean that their children miss out on taking part in this important and fun part of school life.

While school costs like this have always been a challenge for low-income households, this year more and more parents are struggling as costs soar. It’s right that schools mark days like World Book Day inclusively, so all children can benefit. Rather than making children from lower-income families feel different, schools can use the day to encourage enjoyment of reading. Here are some examples from schools across the UK of fun and inclusive World Book Day activities.

Reducing costs

Lots of schools have moved away from encouraging pupils to dress as a book character, and instead celebrate the occasion with a book swap or by asking children to design and draw their own book cover or bookmark. At one school, dressing up as a character is no longer allowed, and instead pupils decorate a potato:

"I think it’s good to do potatoes cos some people didn’t have money for the costumes… it’s a waste of money for one day, people were buying expensive costumes." (Year 6 pupil)

"I liked how on World Book Day they decided to decorate a potato instead of dressing up. As not everyone can afford a costume, so it meant all children were able to participate!" (Parent)

In one school, many events such as World Book Day are now commemorated by hosting pyjama days, a move welcomed by many parents:

"I like the fact that children wear pyjamas to events such as World Book Day, which takes pressure off buying outfits." (Parent)

Another school set up a reading Book Camp with tents, a ‘camp fire’, s’mores, camping crafts and lots and lots of books. Instead of pupils dressing up, teachers dressed up as book characters with the children spending time guessing who they were.

The World Book Day charity also include examples of how schools can develop inclusive activities in their resources for educators here.

Including families

One school set up two reading tents during the week leading up to World Book Day. The school stocked the tents with lots of exciting titles for children to dip into during break time and lunch hour. Inside the tents there was plenty of room to get comfy on cushions and hang out with friends while parents hosted special reading sessions.

Other schools organised family reading days where families came into the school to read and play book-related games with pupils. We’ve also seen examples of schools setting up book treasure hunts around the school for children to enjoy.

Books for all

Some schools arrange book fairs to coincide with World Book Day but ensure that all students are able to use their £1 World Book Day voucher to choose a World Book Day book. This means all children have a book to take home. Other schools have bought packs of inexpensive books in bulk and sold them at a reduced rate to families.

In some schools, all pupils go on a free trip to select a book with their World Book Day voucher so that they don’t face any additional transport costs or barriers when selecting and collecting their World Book Day book. A Year 6 pupil explained: "So sometimes we do activities like [have] books involved and sometimes we go to Waterstones in town." Another Year 6 pupil highlighted: "It’s really fun and we get to pick books that we like."

Schools across the UK are demonstrating how World Book Day can be transformed so all children, regardless of household income, can enjoy what’s on offer and no child is left feeling different or excluded. It shows what can be achieved when schools place children living in low-income households at the centre of their planning, and prioritise affordability and inclusivity when designing events and activities.

For lots more ideas on small changes in school that can make a big difference for children and families take a look at our Cost of the School Day resources.