Castlehead students win Prime Minister’s award
8 May 2014 12:39 PM
Student volunteers at
Castlehead High School in Paisley, Renfrewshire, have won a Big Society Award
for their successful reading club.
135 students volunteer at the
twice weekly club which supports younger students to develop their reading
skills. Senior student volunteers receive training from their teachers and give
up their Wednesday and Friday lunchtimes to partner first and second year
pupils. All senior students who manage the scheme are presented for City and
Guilds qualification.
Since the club began in 1994, it
has grown from a membership of 12 to be the biggest paired reading club in the
UK and literacy levels have improved across the school.
The club is going from strength
to strength and has built a number of links within the community, including a
successful programme that invites elderly volunteers to come into school and
take part in the paired reading. The club has been honoured with Gold Award
statuses from the National Literacy Trust and The Diana Award.
Castlehead student leaders say
taking part in the club has boosted their self confidence and many have begun
taking part in a number of speaking events, including presentations to local
schools encouraging them to start their own reading clubs, a Renfrewshire
Council conference and a question and answer session at The Herald Society
Awards in Glasgow.
Prime Minister David Cameron
said:
I’m delighted to give this
award to all the students at Castlehead High School who take part in the
reading club.
It’s inspirational to see
so many students, teachers and volunteers in the community giving up their
lunchtimes to help younger pupils develop a love of reading.
Martin MacDonald, Head Teacher
of Castlehead High School, said:
The Paired Reading Club has a
massive impact on our pupils in terms of literacy and ethos and I am absolutely
delighted that this has been recognised through the Big Society
Award.