Schools line up for Get Witham Reading 2021
Thirteen schools in Witham have confirmed their participation in Get Witham Reading 2021, organised by Witham MP, Priti Patel. This is the MP’s tenth annual school literacy campaign aimed at improving standards of literacy across the Witham constituency and it reaches its conclusion on Friday 9th July.
This year’s participants are as follows:
- Chipping Hill Primary School
- Lakelands Primary School
- Kelvedon St. Mary’s Primary Academy
- Feering C of E Primary School
- Rivenhall Primary School
- Howbridge C of E Primary School
- Tiptree Heath Primary School
- St. Luke’s Primary School (Tiptree)
- Terling Primary School
- Powers Hall Academy
- Templars Academy
- Silver End Academy
- New Rickstones Academy
Get Witham Reading 2021 has also been supported by local libraries including the Silver End, Witham and Coggeshall, with promotional activities and assembly visits to introduce pupils to what libraries offer.
Each of the schools is participating in its own individual way with a range activities including reading and exploring particular books through music, art or drama, special day long reading focused events with specific targets and reading challenges and pupils dressing up as characters from the books they have been reading.
Every pupil at the schools taking part will receive a commemorative bookmark from Priti Patel as a memento of their participation in Get Witham Reading 2021. The Witham MP will be spending a full day in her constituency visiting many of the participating schools to present them with their bookmarks.
Priti said: “It is amazing that Get Witham Reading is this year celebrating its tenth anniversary and I am delighted that so many schools are once again taking part. This literacy project for schools has always been one of my highest priorities as a Constituency MP. The great gift of reading is beyond price and I am delighted to be playing my part in passing it on to Witham’s schoolchildren.”
The 2021 Get Witham Reading campaign has attracted high level support from Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP and the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP. Mr Johnson said: “I welcome the commitment of hard-working teachers in Witham to raising literacy standards and promoting a love of reading. Reading for pleasure brings a range of benefits. As well as the strong links between reading for pleasure and entertainment, there are a number of other benefits, including positive reading attitudes, increased general knowledge and character development.
“I commend the hard work of all the teachers in Witham and the wider Essex region and I hope this excellent event continues well into the future. “
Mr Williamson said: “I welcome this great initiative that builds on my department’s work to get more children and young people reading. I am grateful for the ongoing commitment and the hard work of teachers and head teachers in raising literacy standards and promoting a love of reading across Witham.
“I wish you every success with this event.”
