Oldham schools crowned reading champions after competition

The Summer Reading Challenge invites children across the borough to take on the challenge of reading six books over the summer break in a bid to prevent reading attainment during July and August.

This year followed the theme of Ready, Set, Read! which was centred around sports games and play.

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Hey With Zion won for the second year in a row (Image: Oldham Libraries)

The programme brought by Oldham Libraries featured LEGO Robotics, sessions with Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum, poetry with CBBC’s Dommy B and Oliver Sykes, interactive theatre performances and visits from five well-known children’s authors.

While many signed up and got involved, three schools across the borough have been praised for excelling in the challenge and have each received £300 of book tokens for their efforts.

Jenny Allen from Oldham Libraries and Terrie Bedford from Kajima visited each school on Thursday, November 9, to hand out the incredible prizes that have been sponsored by Kajima.

Beal Vale received a prize for a higher number of children taking part in the challenge (Image: Oldham Libraries)

Hey With Zion Primary School on Rowland Way in Lees, which was also a winner last year, was awarded the prize after the primary enrolled the most children in the challenge from a school across the borough.

Meanwhile, Beal Vale Primary School on Salts Street in Shaw had the most improvement compared to last year's number of children taking part.

Mayfield Primary School on Mayfield Road was also a top achiever and received the award for having the most creative and engaged teachers inspiring the children to read.

The school on Rowland Way saw the most children take on the challenge (Image: Oldham Libraries)

Oldham Libraries also gifted hundreds of books, kindly donated by Christina Gabbitas and The Children's Literature Festival Charity.

The schools are now celebrating the generous gifts as Hey With Zion said it would spend the voucher on improving its outdoor reading area.

Last year, the school installed a "book box" in its playground where books were made readily available for children to access during breaks and lunchtime.

A teacher from Mayfield Primary, photographed in the cockpit of a plane, inspired the children to read everywhere they went (Image: Oldham Libraries)

With the help of the voucher, the school said it will be updating the book box with more titles and a greater range of stories, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry, suitable to all age ranges.

Hey With Zion further revealed it will create a second outdoor reading area in a learning courtyard which will receive new books purchased with the vouchers.

A spokesperson for the school said: "As we are our church foundation school, we will also plan on purchasing some Bibles and prayer books as many of our children have a keen interest and like exploring the different Bible stories.

Mayfield Primary school is celebrating receiving a £300 voucher (Image: Oldham Libraries)

"These will then be available in each of our outdoor reading areas too.

"We are very proud of our outdoor book box and have dedicated it to Hey with Zion's first-ever headteacher who recently passed away."

Beal Vale also said it was excited to be spending the vouchers for books in its outdoor reading shed.

Jenny Allen, development officer children, young people and families, added: "Thanks to Kajima Partnerships Limited and Infrared Capital Partners we have once again been able to gift three Oldham schools, book tokens for their fantastic involvement in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.

"At Oldham Libraries we value working with local schools and teachers to inspire children to read and are grateful that through this sponsorship, schools will benefit from additional reading resource."

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