Plymouth schools celebrate World Book Day

Plymouth schools have been celebrating World Book Day this week (7th March.)

World Book Day was created by UNESCO in 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, it is marked in over 100 countries.  The World Book Day charity’s Strategy 2023-27 sets out that its aim is “more children, from all backgrounds, developing a life-long habit of reading for pleasure, benefiting from the improved life chances this brings them.”

Lipson Academy, part of the Ted Wragg Trust (TWT) family of schools held a ‘design your own book token’ competition as well as running badge making workshops and a literary quiz. 

Marine Academy Primary, also part of the TWT, has had a book fair running every day this week to encourage children to get reading.  The school have also transformed their classrooms to take on the theme of a book and encouraged staff and students to dress in pyjamas and costumes to take part in some cosy reading.

Staff from schools across the Ted Wragg Trust have also been taking part in an Extreme Reading Competition where they have to submit pictures of themselves reading somewhere unusual.  The winning entries will be rewarded with sets of new books for their schools.

The World Book Day charity promotes reading by celebrating the joy of books, authors, illustrators and reading for pleasure, along with transforming attitudes and changing behaviours by providing content to promote reading for fun.  They also ensure that every child gets to choose a book of their own with the World Book Day £1 books and tokens.

The National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey, recorded the lowest level of reading enjoyment since the trust began its survey in 2005.  They found that just 2 in 5 (43.4%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2023, the lowest level since they first asked the question in 2005.  The survey also concluded that fewer than 3 in 10 (28.0%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 said that they read daily in 2023. 

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said:

“Reading confidently is the foundation of education and reading for enjoyment is even better!  As such, I am so glad that our schools have made such efforts to mark World Book Day this week. I do hope our students will all be going home with something new to read.”