Posted on: Friday 15 December 2023
A primary school class has seen an improvement in pupil attendance since they started visiting their local library for reading sessions.
Since September, Year 3 pupils from Greenmeadow Primary School have been catching the bus to Cwmbran Library to borrow books, share stories and do activities.
The visits were the idea of teacher Beth Newton, who said: “By incorporating regular library visits into our curriculum, we are creating a stimulating environment that encourages the children to explore the world through the written word.
“We have already observed a positive correlation between library visits and our pupils academic progress. Their reading comprehension skills have improved significantly, and they are more engaged in the classroom.”
Staff at the library are always on hand to help pupils navigate the library and chose books that suit their interests and reading abilities. Pupils were keen to give their feedback:
Gemma said: "I like the library because we get to read and we made our own bookmarks and it's free."
Sophia said: "It's lots of fun taking our books back and reading them in school."
Talon said: "I like being able to choose a book and then bring it back to the school to read. It is exciting when you can share a book with a friend".
The trips have helped to improve class attendance by three percentage points from 92% to 95% compared to the same period of the previous year.
Councillor Richard Clark, Torfaen Council Executive Member Children, Families and Education said: “It’s clear the children really enjoy their regular bus trips to the library!
“It is just one example of some of the fantastic initiatives our schools put in place to enrich children’s learning experience and ensure they want to go to school every day.”
Torfaen Council’s #NotInMissOut campaign aims to highlight the fun and varied activities that take place in school, as well as the initiatives aimed at encouraging children to attend school regularly.
For more information about school attendance, visit the Torfaen Council website.