Stenness pupils' love of reading earns silver recognition

Stenness Community School has been awarded the Reading Schools Silver accreditation by Scottish Book Trust, achieving the second tier of the national programme which supports schools to build a culture of reading.

The Reading Schools programme is a national accreditation scheme open to every school in Scotland, with three levels of achievement: Core, Silver and Gold. Research shows that reading for pleasure has positive impacts on pupils' attainment across the curriculum, whilst also supporting wellbeing, critical thinking, creativity, empathy and resilience.

Mr Grant Thomson, Headteacher at Stenness School, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have achieved the Silver Reading Schools Award. This recognises the hard work of our pupils, staff and families in building a real love of reading across our school community at Stenness.

"Books and stories sit at the heart of our culture – in classrooms, corridors and conversations – and our children are seeing themselves as confident, joyful readers. We're incredibly proud of this achievement and excited to keep building on it."

To achieve Silver level, schools must demonstrate evidence across key areas including staff development around reading for pleasure, forming a reading leadership group with pupil representation, and creating opportunities for learners to engage with literature beyond the classroom through activities such as author visits and library engagement.

Debbie McLeod, Reading Schools Project Manager at Scottish Book Trust, who was involved in the accreditation process, said: "I really enjoyed finding out how you are continuing to develop the reading culture in your rural island school. It is evident that you seek out ways to overcome any challenges that your location might present. This shows dedication.

“The huge amount of work and commitment you have put into the programme really shone through your application – what an incredible reading environment for your learners. It is clear that, as a school, you value, support and develop learners' individual reading interests."

The Reading Schools programme is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by Scottish Book Trust, Scotland's national charity for reading and writing.