Winners of the Reading for Pleasure Awards
The winners of the HarperCollins Reading for Pleasure Awards 2024, in association with the Open University and the UK Literacy Association (UKLA), have been announced. The awards recognise and celebrate teachers who are putting Reading for Pleasure at the heart of their classrooms in creative and innovative ways, to inspire children to read.
This year, bestselling author Hannah Gold joined the judging panel as the guest judge.
The winners were awarded across six categories this year, with each category receiving £250 worth of books from across Farshore, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Collins and Barrington Stoke along with 20 copies of Help Your Child Love Reading by Alison David.
Early Career – WINNER: Charlotte Squirrell, Moorlands Church of England Primary Academy, Norfolk
Experienced Teacher – JOINT WINNERS: Chris Soul, Watford St John’s Church of England Primary School, Watford and Imogen Maund, Caldecott Primary School, Oxfordshire and a HIGHLY COMMENDED to Claire Burton-Gardner, Turnfurlong Junior School, Buckinghamshire
School Reading Champion – JOINT WINNERS: Henrietta Englefield, Colfe’s Senior School, London and Kathryn Handley, The Sir Donald Bailey Primary Academy, Nottinghamshire
Whole School – WINNER: Lydgate Infant School, Sheffield submitted by Vikki Varley and Daisy Whitehead
Community Reading Champion – JOINT WINNERS: Cathy Cook, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham and Simon Pollard, St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature, Cornwall
Author’s Choice – WINNER: Steeton Primary School, Yorkshire submitted by Claire Redman
The Early Career category was awarded to Charlotte Squirrell from Moorlands Church of England Primary Academy, who was recognised for her child-centric and diversity-led approach to developing a reading community within the school. The judges were impressed to see such a strong start from a passionate teacher at the beginning of her career.
The Experienced Teacher category was awarded to two winners: Chris Soul from Watford St John’s Church of England Primary School and Imogen Maund from Caldecott Primary School. The judges applauded Imogen for going on a deep-dive into poetry, enthusing not only her class, but also inspiring the entire school to develop an ambitious plan for poetry. With Chris, the judges were very impressed with his approach to engaging the whole school with the Storytime in School project, created by Farshore to encourage daily storytime in the classroom, and to extend his influence and experience to other schools. The judges were also very impressed with the school reading podcast. The judges also gave a Highly Commended award to Claire Burton-Gardner from Turnfurlong Junior School for working hard to broaden the texts that children have access to within their school environment, with author visits throughout the year.
The School Reading Champion category has also been awarded to joint winners with Henrietta Englefield from Colfe’s Senior School and Kathryn Handley from The Sir Donald Bailey Academy taking the prize. The judges thought Henrietta demonstrated how reading can be implemented successfully in a secondary school setting. Kathryn was praised for her involvement of parents in encouraging a reading for pleasure habit beyond the classroom.
In the Whole School category, Lydgate Infant School is the winner. The entry was submitted by Vikki Varley and Daisy Whitehead. The judges said the school would be a great inspiration for other schools, with plenty of evidence-based data used as a springboard for a varied and comprehensive approach to embedding reading for pleasure.
The Community Reading Champion has been awarded to two winners. Both Cathy Cook from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and Simon Pollard of St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature were commended for being brilliant examples in igniting change in their communities, with Cathy being described by the judges as a trailblazer.
And finally, the Author’s Choice is Steeton Primary School, chosen by bestselling author Hannah Gold. On her decision, Hannah said ‘I loved the emphasis on creating numerous tactile reading places throughout the entire school. Spaces which undoubtedly lend a more relaxed, comfortable feel to reading – one of the cornerstones of fostering a reading for pleasure culture. I also have to give a special shout out to Eric Shaw for his incredible hard work and dedication. He sounds like a very special person indeed.’
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education at The Open University, said, ‘These award-winning schools and teachers demonstrate the impact of giving reading for pleasure the respect it deserves. Their investment and involvement in strategically developing positive reader identities has clearly paid dividends. The impact of their work on young lives is evident and warrants both recognition and celebration’.
