We have taken great pleasure this year in our students’ involvement in World Book Day – well, we say ‘day’ but we at Bradfield School we have made it into World Book Week, spearheaded by our assemblies every day. We have a range of events going on to encourage reading, and, to raise a little bit more money for Sheffield Children’s Hospital along the way, all week long we are selling bookmarks and running a tombola.

“Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real.”
― Nora Ephron

On the actual day of World Book Day, all KS3 lessons will begin with teachers sharing a subject-specific influential writer. World Book Day vouchers are available for all in the library to collect. Along with students at Tapton School, there is a quiz in form time to see if students can work out if certain quotations are from Shakespeare or from Batman! And in addition, a group of Year 9 students have chosen and wrapped books in the library with a brief description on the front of the parcel to help students choose a book which is different to what they might normally choose for themselves : we hope they will  be pleasantly surprised by their ‘Blind Date’!  Finally, Mrs Dewsnap, Subject Lead for English and strategic reading lead, will be handing out ‘golden tickets’ which entitle students to choose and keep a book for free from a large selection in the library.

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
― Stephen King

For every reader of a book, there needs to be a writer. We are delighted that some students will be attending a writer’s workshop, led by our very own Mr Naldrett, who is a published writer. And all students are invited to write an entry in our 100 word short story competition: details are on Satchel One and entries should be handed  in to Mrs Marsh, our librarian, by the end of the week.

“Don't ever apologise to an author for buying something in paperback, or taking it out from a library (that's what they're there for. Use your library). Don't apologise to this author for buying books second hand, or getting them from bookcrossing or borrowing a friend's copy. What's important to me is that people read the books and enjoy them, and that, at some point in there, the book was bought by someone. And that people who like things tell other people. The most important thing is that people read...”
― Neil Gaiman

Many of our students are keen readers and library lending at school keeps increasing year by year. For those less keen to read for pleasure, we would encourage parents and carers to get your child to aim for 20 minutes’ reading a day at home. As we have said to our students in school: they don’t have to do it all in one go. How about two shorter sessions of 10 minutes, or four 5-minute sessions and slowly build it up to one 20-minute session. To recycle a phrase, every little helps! 

 Click here for Reading Recommendations

Mrs Dewsnap : Subject Lead for English and Strategic Reading Lead

Mrs Marsh : School Librarian