South View Primary School in Crowland smashes National Reading Agency challenge

Primary school pupils have smashed a reading challenge with more than 150 children registering to take part.

This year the National Reading Agency launched its summer reading challenge called Ready, Set, Read and it was met with enthusiasm by South View Primary School, Crowland.

The challenge is for children to go to their local library and read six books during the long holidays.

Mrs Tomlins, head teacher: “I’m proud, but also not at all surprised, so many of our children took part in the reading challenge, we love reading at South View.

“Thank you so much to Crowland Community Hub for inviting us to take part, we hope we didn’t tire you out.”

Volunteers from Crowland Community Hub visited the school in July, to tell the children about it and Mrs Tomlins announced that anyone completing the challenge would receive a sought after head teacher green letter.

Local bakery Trinity Bakery offered an incentive of a voucher for a free cookie or cake to those completing the challenge.

The volunteer library staff were overwhelmed in the first week, with the sheer numbers of children registering, with some 50 on the first day

Mrs Beeken, library manager said: “It was so lovely to see so many children coming back week after week, showing great enthusiasm for the challenge, writing wonderful reviews which we put up all round the library, reading each other’s reviews and staying to read in the library and chat to others.

“The staff had to work really hard to keep up with the demand.

“I’d like to thank Mrs Tomlins and the school for their brilliant support of our local library; also a big shout out to Trinity Bakery for their wonderful community support, which was very well received by all the children.”

In total, more than 150 children registered, with 130 from South View school.

Of these, an incredible 105 completed the challenge by the beginning of the new term, an increase of more than 60 on last year.

Year 5 pupil, Tara Bancroft, said: “I read a book about a flying pig called Harry, and I also read a book called Otter Chaos, it was really funny.

“I used my Trinity Bakery token for a Rainbow cookie, it was really nice.”

Harry Knox, Year 5, said: “I read The Magic Tree House and I learned that polar bears can lie on the ice and it won’t crack. I’m going to use my token for a chocolate cake if there are any left.”