World Book Week at St Benet Biscop

World Book Day became World Book Week, when St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy in Northumberland held a five-day Festival of Reading.

Students from Year 7 to Sixth Form took part in the literary celebration, which included a range of themed activities, competitions, costumes, and a special visitor – as well as every opportunity to open a book.

“This year, World Book Day was bigger than ever,” said Louise Banfield, who is Assistant Headteacher at the school.

“With so much planned, celebrations were extended into a full Festival of Reading week, giving students and staff plenty of opportunities to immerse themselves in books and stories.

“The theme this year was ‘go all in’, encouraging everyone to fully embrace reading. This year is particularly significant as it is the National Year of Reading, making our celebrations even more meaningful.”

Among the activities were a door-decorating competition, where each form transformed their classroom door into a book-inspired design, and a ‘Caught Reading’ challenge, which tasked students with identifying mystery classmates and staff members photographed while reading.

Other highlights included a whole-school ‘Drop Everything and Read’ session, and short video ‘Book Burps’ which featured staff discussing their most memorable reads.

The Year 7 students also enjoyed a workshop led by Newcastle-based author Dan Smith, who put them through their creative paces, while staff dressed as fictional characters related to their curriculum topics.

“World Book Day is important because reading lies at the heart of education and personal development,” added Mrs Banfield.

“At St Benet Biscop Academy, reading is central to everything we do. Our patron saint, St Benet Biscop, was well known for his love of reading and scholarship, making this celebration especially meaningful to our school community.

“By celebrating World Book Day with a full Festival of Reading, we are reinforcing our commitment to fostering a love of reading in every student.”