A Library Designed to Inspire

Our new Pre-Prep Library has been carefully created as a welcoming and inspiring space where children can discover books they love, enjoy storytelling together and begin to develop confidence as independent readers.

With colourful shelves, cosy corners and hundreds of stories waiting to be explored, the library is already becoming a place where imagination thrives. Opening it during World Book Day week felt especially meaningful, reinforcing the role that reading plays at the heart of our school.

A Space Where Stories Come Alive

As Alice Rees, Head of English, explains:

“Reading builds vocabulary, strengthens comprehension and gives children the confidence to explore more complex ideas across every subject. Just as importantly, stories nurture imagination, empathy and curiosity about the world around us.”

The new library has been designed to support exactly that: a space where children experience reading not simply as a skill to learn, but as something joyful to explore.

Inspiring Young Storytellers

Throughout the day, Abie Longstaff delivered four workshops, each tailored to the different age groups taking part.

For our Pre-School children, along with some parents who joined the session, Abie read her charming story Little Fairy Godmother. She then led an interactive mini-workshop exploring where story ideas come from, encouraging the children to see that inspiration can be found everywhere.

Later in the day, Reception to Year 2 pupils and parents, enjoyed another reading of Little Fairy Godmother. Abie then invited the children to imagine their own story ideas inspired by the familiar nursery rhyme Jack and Jill. The room quickly filled with ideas as pupils began thinking about the characters and their own adventures.

Unlocking the Magic of Ideas

For pupils in Years 3 to 5, the focus turned to the writing process itself. Abie spoke about how she has always been fascinated by secret doors and hidden spaces, which eventually inspired her book series The Trapdoor Mysteries.

Working in pairs, pupils were challenged to design their own magical doors or trapdoors. They thought about where the door might be hidden, what lay behind it and who might be trying to access it. The exercise quickly captured imaginations, showing just how easily creativity can take hold when children are given the freedom to explore.

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Publishing

For our Years 6 to 8 pupils, the session offered a different perspective. Abie spoke about the publishing world behind the books they read, sharing insight into cover design, illustration, marketing and the journey a story takes from an idea to a finished book.

It was a fascinating look at the creative industry behind storytelling and gave pupils a deeper appreciation of how the books they love are brought to life.

A Celebration of Reading

One of the most memorable parts of the day was simply seeing how engaged the pupils were. Across every workshop, children eagerly contributed ideas, asked thoughtful questions and shared their creativity with confidence.

The celebrations concluded with the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, led by Abie herself, before parents and pupils were invited to explore the new Pre-Prep Library together for the first time.

Seeing families browsing the shelves, discovering favourite authors and sharing stories together was the perfect way to begin this new chapter for Great Walstead’s youngest readers.

A Lifelong Love of Reading

At Great Walstead, reading is woven into everyday school life through our libraries, classroom learning and shared storytelling. But the strongest reading habits are built when school and families work together.

Whether it is sharing a bedtime story, listening to an audiobook in the car or discovering a new favourite series, these small moments help children build confidence, curiosity and a lifelong connection with books.

With our new Pre-Prep Library now open, we cannot wait to see the many adventures our pupils discover within its shelves.

And if the creativity sparked during Abie Longstaff’s visit is anything to go by, the next generation of storytellers may already be sitting among them.

See Great Walstead in Action

If you would like to discover more about Great Walstead’s learning culture and how we nurture curiosity, creativity and a love of reading from the very earliest years, we would love to welcome you to the school.

Book a personalised tour and see our children learning, exploring and discovering their passions every day.