Castlefields Primary School were originally awarded their status as a Leading in Reading school in 2019.

As this status lasts for three years, they successfully applied again to renew their position as a Leading in Reading school in 2022.

Following another visit by representatives from the University Centre Shrewsbury and Shropshire Bookfest, Head Teacher Rebecca Lee was presented with the school’s new certificate and plaque at the annual Shropshire Bookfest conference for teachers on 16 November 2022.

Once again, Castlefields Primary School had clearly demonstrated evidence of an inclusive approach to running a reading project across the school, has an active school library and demonstrated commitment to providing pupils with a wide range of quality, contemporary and classic reading material that is regularly reviewed and refreshed.

This was the report from the first visit to the school in 2019 which pushed the school into the limelight as a Leading in Reading school:

Visiting Castlefields school for Bookfest was an eye-opening experience. We were treated to a wide variety of ways that the school is using to encourage children to enjoy and extend the experience of reading.

The highlight of the visit was the children of course, and their enthusiasm for some of the projects and activities that they were involved in. The Librarians were very enthusiastic and engaging, proud of the variety of ways that they were involved in trying to enthuse other children in the school to read. They were taking great care in producing Book Boxes, tailored for a child in each year group to enjoy taking home to share with their families. For each, a cuddly toy, sachet of hot chocolate, book to read, and a record book to save comments, reviews and recommendations. In the year 6 class, it was so good to hear the children talk about the books they had been reading for the Book Award, and justify their choices.

Around the school, there were enticing corners and other spaces for children to enter into the worlds created by children’s authors. Plenty of opportunities are there for the world of books to come alive and be enjoyed!

Vicki Silver – Programme Leader: BA Working with Children, Young People & Families (WBIS) & Work-Based Learning at University Centre Shrewsbury