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Each year Reading Champions rewards the primary and secondary school which has most effectively developed its reading role model project for boys. We weren’t able to find a winner that reached the high standard which Debden Park Secondary School set in 2006. Therefore, we are running the secondary school competition again. Find out more about the secondary competition (closing date Friday 31 October 2008)
The primary winner for 2007/08 is:
Burnwood Community School, Stoke-on-Trent
"I’m so proud of the way the boys have picked up reading through Reading Champions. They’ve realised there is a value in reading and I think it’s changed their lives. That’s great to see!” Diane Herbert, headteacher
Read Burnwood Community School's case study (pdf)
Joint second place winners:
Brooksward School, Milton Keynes
Christ the King RC Primary School, Islington, London
"Reading Champions has dramatically raised the self-esteem, belief and confidence of our boys. They have learned skills for life through this project, which they take with them in their attitude to life and learning. The boys have created an upbeat atmosphere for reading, and everyone wants to get involved." Rachel Boyce, literacy coordinator
Read Christ the King RC Primary School's case study (pdf)
Previous school of the year competition winners
The 2007/08 winning school won:
- £500 worth of reading materials, to be chosen by the pupils
- a year's subscription to Learnnewsdesk from the Guardian
- a presentation ceremony at the schools
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Learnnewsdesk (www.learnnewsdesk.co.uk), the Guardian’s news service for schools, offers daily opportunities to bring the news in to the classroom and to engage learners.
Ideal for use with an interactive whiteboard, for whole-class activities and discussion – and perfect for small group and individual research opportunities – learnnewsdesk presents opportunities to explore the daily news and topical issues through speaking and listening, presentation, discussion, role play, drama and writing for purpose.
An anytime - anywhere resource, pupils and teachers can access learnnewsdesk at school and at home. Literacy support is provided to pupils of all abilities in a number of ways – most impressively, all news articles are fully podcasted, allowing for pupils to listen to, as well as read texts.
For full engagement (and AfL opportunities), interactive elements are central to the learnnewsdesk environment. A daily vote – on a current news item or topical issue – encourages speaking and listening in the classroom. The moderated forum allows pupils to add comment and opinion, whether they are at home or at school. The weekly news quiz sums up the news interactively. And the Be a Reporter facility allows pupils to send in their own researched news stories, both as text and as a podcast.
Previous competition winners
Photography competition 2006- primary category
Photography competition 2006- secondary category 2006
Celebrating those schools which have most developed their work with male reading role models at both primary and secondary levels:
The winning primary school is Lewannick CP School, Launceston, Cornwall. Read the Lewannick CP School case study about how they achieved success.
The winning secondary school is Debden Park High School, Loughton, Essex. Read the Debden Park case study about how they achieved success.
Awarded to the best photographs of male reading role models taken by a school Reading Champion(s).
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1st place: Hunwick Primary School, Co Durham
"The Hunwick Primary School has been deeply involved with Reading Champions. They have seen an increased use of the library due to parental involvement, with records of borrowing having gone up. Within the school the girls did not feel that it was fair that only boys were champions so that they started their own scheme for girls and a competition has begun between the boys and the girls. And the boys are trying even harder to beat them. Parents and grandparents have set up reading groups in school at lunchtimes.
The boys were delighted to find out they had won and their joy was shared by everyone in school."
Lynn Skinner, Reading Coordinator, Hunwick Primary |
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2nd place: Grove Street Primary School, Barnsley
"We are very proud that the 'reading dog' came second in the competition. We are pleased to have done well but we wouldn't have minded coming last because we had a lot of fun taking the photographs and we come to the club because we all enjoy reading."
Grove Street Reading Champions
"We are very proud of the progress the boys have made since taking on the challenge of being a Reading Champion. We have arranged different activities and visitors for them but they particularly enjoyed taking photographs for the competition and enjoyed looking at each others to decide which ones to enter into the competition."
Grove Street staff |
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=3rd place: Leighton Primary School, Crewe
The primary entry standard was really high but this one caught the eye of all the judges and we felt it captured everything that was asked for.
NLT judges |
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=3rd place: Montgomerie Primary School, Essex
"I was hoping, hoping, hoping that I would win the school competition and I am really happy that I won it. I thought it was funny that my brother was in mid- air reading Mr. Bounce."
Samuel, Reading Champion who took the photograph
"It was interesting to see all the boys' ideas and they really enjoyed taking part. It has helped to develop their interest in reading further."
Rachel Welch, Montgomerie Infants |
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1st place: Notley High School, Essex
"Winning this prize allows us to celebrate the achievements of the Reading Champions in Notley's 'Little Dudes' scheme. We have always believed that reading connects, building nurturing skills in our older students, while providing support and positive role models for the younger students."
Anne Bland, Head of English, Notley High School |
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2nd place: Washwood Heath Technology College, Birmingham
"We can't believe it, it's fantastic! We've never won a national competition before!"
Washwood Heath Reading Champions |
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3rd place: Tamarside Community College, Plymouth
"We are genuinely proud of the huge commitment shown by our staff and students in encouraging reading for pleasure. Our aim is to enable students to enjoy reading for its own sake; something vitally important in our increasingly test-driven, statistics-led education system."
Martin Edmonds, Basic Skills Coordinator, Tamarside Community College |
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