Essex Year of Numbers 2023-24

Summer with the Essex Year of Numbers

New Read and Count with Me book bags launched in Essex Country Parks and libraries

Young learners can improve their early numeracy and literacy skills with new book bags.

Essex families can now borrow a Read and Count with Me book bag from Essex Country Parks and Essex libraries as part of the Essex Year of Numbers.

The book bags contain handpicked picture books to share with young learners from birth to age seven in the great outdoors. They aim to encourage literary, numeracy and a love of nature from an early age. Titles include Mad About Minibeasts by Giles Andreae and a selection of other outdoor themed stories.

The bags also contain a ground sheet to sit on and lots of activity ideas to try including seasonal spotters' guides to encourage early numeracy skills.

The bags can be borrowed free of charge from Essex Country Parks and from Essex libraries to use in any local green space.

Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability, Councillor Tony Ball said:

"We are really pleased to launch these book bags as part of the Essex Year of Numbers. They are an ideal way to discover the joy of reading, numbers and learning while enjoying the great outdoors.

Early numeracy and literacy practice helps build confidence and develop the skills that can lead to success in later life. We're committed to providing all young people with the opportunities, tools and support to help them thrive.

We will be launching many more events and initiatives in the coming weeks and months. Please keep an eye on the Essex Year of Numbers website for latest updates."

For the seven Essex Country Parks head to the café or Ranger's Office and ask to borrow one of the sets. Bags can be borrowed at Belhus Woods, Cudmore Grove, Danbury, Great Notley, Hadleigh, Thorndon and Weald.

To borrow a bag from the library to use in a local green space, check if your local library has one, or reserve one to be sent to a library of your choice.

The book bags are also available during Wild Wednesdays and Forest School sessions at Danbury Country Park.

The bags are provided by Essex Library Service and Essex Country Parks and are part of the Essex Year of Numbers. This is a countywide campaign that aims to inspire a love of learning, with a focus on numeracy. The £1.5 million campaign aims to challenge people's perceptions about maths. It is a year of exciting learning opportunities, fun events and initiatives for all.

Keep up to date with Essex Year of Numbers' events

More information on Read and Count with Me bookbags

Find out what is happening in Country Parks and Heritage Places this summer

Visitors can also discover the Gruffalo and Stick Man trails located at two of the Essex Country Parks, inspired by the much-loved picture books written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler and licensed by Magic Light Productions.

Find out what's happening in Essex Libraries this summer

Find maths Adult Community Learning courses

Essex Year of Numbers

Essex Year of Numbers is a countywide campaign that aims to inspire a love of learning, with a focus on numeracy.

Read more at www.essex.gov.uk

Year of Reading & Year of Numbers

Roy Blatchford CBE, Chair of Task Force, writes...

'Everyone's Essex' sets out a strategic aim for making Essex a good place for children and families to grow. The money originally granted to the Task Force by Essex CC has been intended to support outcomes for vulnerable children, education outcomes, levelling up outcomes for families, and family resilience and stability.

The EPI reports have given us good evidence of our starting points and some measure of our progress.

Schools and colleges play a decisive role in ensuring that 'every child has an opportunity to...'

We have invested £1.5 million to date. The Task Force has been awarded - from the 'Everyone's Essex' reserves - a further £1.5 million to invest, alongside the already bespoke £0.5 million from Multiply.

This will mean that by the end of 2025, we shall have been able to focus a total of £3.5 million on improving outcomes for children and young people. The new grant makes explicit the continuation of the Task Force's work with the Year of Reading, Year of Numbers, Well-being Census - and the importance of our collective impact on raising pupils' standards of attainment.


The Task Force agreed to adopt these four as ambitious goals, focused on the 17,500 pupils per Essex age cohort. These link to the Council's ambitions for Essex 2030.

1. All children in Essex reading at least in line with their age
2. 80 - 85% of pupils at 11+ and 16+ reaching expected national standards in English and maths
3. All schools in Essex having good pupil attendance, well-being and personal development
4. To help shape the future education, digital and skills provision in Essex, responding to possible devolution of services in a changing political landscape.

Essex Year of Numbers Launch on May 17th 2023 at Chelmsford Race Course, with Bobby Seagull

Essex Education Task Force - Education Policy Institute reports

22nd February 2023
Social Mobility & Vulnerable Learners Report
Essex Year of Reading 2022-23: Reading skills, outcomes and interventions - A review of the evidence
The Education Policy Institute was commissioned by the Essex County Council Education Task Force to review the evidence around reading skills, related outcomes and interventions. The Task Force is an independent body created to oversee post-Covid recovery in education and young people's mental health in Essex; a major focus of the Task Force has been launching the Essex Year of Reading 2022-23.
EPI website for this report

27th October 2022
Children and young people's mental health Report
Pupil Wellbeing in Essex
Commissioned by the Essex Education Task Force, this report investigates pupil wellbeing using the results of the first round of a short wellbeing survey that took place in May 2022. The survey, based on the Good Childhood Index, developed by the Children's Society, asks pupils a series of questions about how they feel about various aspects of their life, such as their school, home, and friends.
EPI website for this report

21st February 2022
Social Mobility & Vulnerable Learners Report
EPI local authority analysis: Report for Essex Education Task Force
This is the first Education Policy Institute (EPI) report to Essex County Council's Education Task Force, an independent body created to oversee post-Covid recovery in education and young people's mental health in Essex.
EPI website for this report