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Mile Oak wins Reading Connects primary school of the year
9 Jul 2008
Children at Mile Oak Primary, the largest primary school in Brighton, will be having an extra special school assembly on Monday 21 July when staff and pupils will celebrate winning the Reading Connects School of the Year competition 2007/08.
Reading Connects, a Department for Children, Schools and Families funded initiative delivered by the National Literacy Trust, aims to ensure that as many young people as possible enjoy the pleasures and opportunities that reading can bring.
Mile Oak Primary School was chosen as the winner because of how the school has developed reading for pleasure across the whole-school community in an innovative and creative way. This means involving everyone – from teachers, students, cleaners, dinner ladies, parents and people from the local community – in demonstrating that reading is fun and worthwhile.
Sarah Osborne, Reading Connects project manager, says: Mile Oak is a shining example of how schools can inspire children to develop a love of words and reading.
Reading gives young people new words, phrases and ideas, and gives them the ability to communicate with the world. It is the foundation of an individual’s future success, whether that be in business, entertainment, or any other career that you choose. Being literate gives you the opportunity to follow your chosen path in life.
To recognise all their hard work, I am really pleased to be able to present Mile Oak with a cheque for £500 for the children to spend on reading materials chosen by the pupils, and a year’s subscription to Learnnewsdesk from the Guardian.”
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Notes to editors
Reading Connects Reading Connects is an initiative delivered by the National Literacy Trust on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families. It supports primary and secondary schools in developing their own whole-school reading culture. It has a network of over 4,600 schools, as well as partners in local authorities, libraries, and children’s centres. www.readingconnects.org.uk
The 2008 National Year of Reading (NYR) is being managed by The National Literacy Trust and lead partner The Reading Agency. Working with a consortium of partners, they have been allocated funds to establish a framework for delivering the campaign at a national and local level. A key priority is to develop a legacy which embeds reading, in all its forms, in our social culture and local authority planning and endures long beyond the end of the campaign itself. The NYR will promote reading as an enjoyable activity which is everywhere and is not just about books: it is about reading anything, anywhere at anytime.
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that changes lives through literacy. It links home, school and the wider community to inspire learners and create opportunities for everyone. The National Literacy Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, no. 1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no. 5836486, Registered office: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL.
