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Local school wins reading competition
17 Sep 2009
17 September 2009
Boys are Reading Champions at Ambleside Primary School
Children at Ambleside Primary School in Nottingham will be having an extra special school assembly on Wednesday 23 September when staff and pupils will celebrate winning the National Literacy Trust’s Reading Champions School of the Year competition 2008/09. The Reading Champions Project Manager, Nick Batty, will be visiting the school to present them with their prize and certificate.
Ambleside Primary School (part of the Ellis Guilford Education Improvement Partnership) was chosen as the winner because of the innovative and creative way they have developed their Reading Champions project, with the pupils taking ownership of the project and driving it forward. Particular highlights have included extreme reading challenges run among the staff and among the pupils. Participants were challenged to photograph themselves reading in extreme or unusual locations with prizes awarded for the most extraordinary entries.
The school has got parents involved with the project too; this included running ‘Bring a Man to school’ day on World Book Day. The children were asked to bring their dad or male carer and a favourite book to school to read together. About 40 men attended and read either with their own child or with a small group. Ambleside also recruited a local Fire Liaison Officer who came in and read with a group of boys on a weekly basis, acting as a really inspirational reading role model.
Reading Champions is a Department for Children, Schools and Families funded initiative delivered by the National Literacy Trust. It was developed in response to the continuing national concern about boys’ and men’s underachievement and the lack of positive role models for boys’ reading. It is a nationwide scheme which aims to find, nurture and celebrate positive role models for reading. Schools invite boys who are influential among other pupils to run positive reading activities and promotions. These boys are then nominated as Reading Champions and receive a certificate. Members of staff and parents that promote reading can also be rewarded as Reading Champions.
The project has been popular with the boys. One of the Reading Champion boys, Mason in Year 5, stated “I enjoy being a Reading Champion. We encourage children to have fun because reading isn’t boring”. Since the introduction of Reading Champions at Ambleside, they have recognised 39 Reading Champions in total.
Nick Batty, Reading Champions Project Manager at the National Literacy Trust, says: “Ambleside Primary School is a truly worthy winner of the 2008/09 Reading Champions school of the year competition. They have used so many innovative ways to get their boys reading and I hope that their achievements can act as inspiration for other schools”.
Staff support for the project is unanimous – one staff member Miss Arnold commented that “the project has helped to raise the importance of reading among the children and there is definitely a more positive approach towards books and reading’ while another teacher, Miss Buchanan, said “I can’t think of a single boy in my class who has not raised their aspirations in reading this year”.
Karen Hannon, Headteacher of Ambleside Primary School said: “The scheme has had a positive impact on the whole school’s reading culture and has created a true ‘buzz’ around reading. Staff have seen an increase in the children’s reading ages throughout the school, many children are talking about books, parents have requested to have their own shelf in the school library and now there are always groups of children and adults reading in the shared areas of the school.”
Councillor David Mellen, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Nottingham City Council said: “This is a tremendous achievement and shows the impact schemes like Reading Champions can have on raising young people’s aspirations. Well done to everyone who has helped achieve this fantastic accomplishment.”
Please click on: www.amblesideprimaryschool.co.uk to find out more about the school’s achievements.
ends.
For more information please contact:
National Literacy Trust – Edward Mather – 0207 820 6254 or email edward.mather@literacytrust.org.uk
Notes to editors
About Reading Champions
Reading Champions is an initiative delivered by the National Literacy Trust on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families. It uses the motivational power of male reading role models to inspire other boys and men to read more. See www.readingchampions.org.uk for more information.
About the National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity. We believe that society will only be fair when everyone has the literacy skills they need to communicate, to fulfil their potential and to contribute more to society. We campaign to improve public understanding of the vital importance of literacy, as well as delivering projects and working in partnership to reach those most in need of support.
National Literacy Trust is a registered charity no. 1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no. 5836486. Registered in England and Wales. Registered address: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL. Tel: 020 7587 1842.
