Gallery: The District CE hosts second Reading Rocks event
The District CE Primary School hosted its second Reading Rocks event this weekend (Saturday 14 October), in association with Oxford University Press.
After last year’s phenomenal event, the Newton-le-Willows primary school hosted another sell-out day which brought like-minded, book-ish primary school staff and librarians together to discuss ways they can make reading rock for every pupil.
The day included keynote speakers, workshops, bookish treats, the temptation of a great bookshop, a LIVE radio broadcast with Russell Prue and live streaming with Periscope on Twitter.
Speakers included Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education (Literacy) at The Open University; author SF Said, whose first book ‘Varjak Paw’ won the Smarties Prize for Children’s Literature and Mary Myatt, an education adviser, writer and speaker.
- The workshops were held thought the day and were very popular
- The pop-up book store in a classroom
- The year six librarians browse the many books available to buy
- Reading Rocks!
- The delicious cakes all had a literary theme!
- Oxford University Press had many books for sale
- SF Said in full flow
- The talks were extremely well attended
- The school’s Story Barn is evidence of its commitment to reading
- The school’s brilliant Story Barn
- Classrooms became temporary shops where various products were on sale
- The stall of science magazine WhizzPopBang
The school, which has garnered nearly 8,000 Twitter followers on its Reading Rocks account, has been overwhelmed with the event’s feedback. Attendees have hailed the event “inspiring”, “brilliant” and “stimulating”.
The school, which won the Innovation in Education Award at The Educate Awards in 2015, is up for the literacy award once again, thanks to its pioneering approach.
Its ‘Reading is STEMsational’ project set out to develop boys’ reading with a focus on STEM subjects. The impact of the project has been vast – 77% of Key Stage 2 boys reported that STEM year has encouraged them to read more.
- Russell Pru is live on air
- The Storybarn in Calderstones Park were represented
- Year six pupil Emelie enjoys a read with her mum
- One of the brilliant workshops in full flow
- Browsing one of the pop-up libraries
- Children’s writer SF Said talked about his love of reading and how it influenced his writing career
- Author SF Said gave a fascinating talk
- Attendees could attend workshops held throughout the day
- ‘A book is a dream you hold in your hands’
- 3…2…1…”we are live at Reading Rocks 2017″
- Delegates could try out innovative classroom tools like these headphones!
- Reading Rocks!
- The Twitter-ran raffle was a huge success
- The event organiser, Heather Wright