I was particularly impressed by the efforts of Mrs Hey and Mrs Goward to raise the profile of reading for pleasure amongst their pupils. Teachers at the school have participated in the Open University Reading for Pleasure teachers’ group and I was impressed to hear about some of the projects that the school had launched, particularly those which involved parents  – cookery in the community, parent workshops, reading rivers (to give children an idea of their parents’ reading histories).

The school also reported that the Bookfest project raised the reading scores for many of their pupils. The pupils in the class that we visited were incredibly enthusiastic about reading and were very responsive when I asked them for reading suggestions. It seemed that everybody in the class wanted to contribute something and they ran around the classroom, seeking out their favourite books – the classroom was very well stocked. What was particularly nice here was the breadth of their reading experience and the way this was recorded within the classroom. Pupils left post-it note recommendations on books that they had enjoyed, the class reading chart indicated what everyone was reading and they had an author wall where the teacher pinned up correspondence from authors of the books that they had been reading.

The children were also enthusiastic about visits to the local library. One of my favourite moments of the visit was when one boy showed me his Match annual and then rushed to his bag to fetch a football scrapbook that he was making. We bonded over a picture of Dennis Bergkamp, but the real joy here was to see the wonderfully creative outputs that reading can prompt.

Dr Lucy Andrew – Lecturer in English Literature and Programme Leader BA (Hons) English at University Centre Shrewsbury.  November 2019

We’re very excited to achieve the Bookfest Leading in Reading Ambassador Award that celebrates the importance we place in reading for pleasure at Greenacres. It’s our ambition that all of our children are nurtured to develop a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.

Simone Goward – Teacher at Greenacres Primary School