Reading and bonfire night for schoolchildren

A bonfire and books reading event was held at Swaffham Infant School on Monday night to help increase interest in books among the students.

Families were invited to share a book, have a hot dog or bacon butty then enjoy a sparkler around a bonfire.

Around 200 people were in attendance at the event.

Deputy Headteacher, Emily McMillen who came up with the idea for the event, said: "We started it about four years ago and it has become more and more popular. It is a means of emphasising the importance of reading to the children, and to get them excited by it.

"People do make sure they read at home but it is hard to gauge the impact when they are away from school. The children do go the local library with their parents to pick a book every week though. They are language deprived at their age so it is so important to get them reading as much as possible."

Mrs McMillen is Key Stage 1 lead at the school alongside her role as Deputy Head.

Receptionist, Denise Allen added: "The bonfire night went really well. We at Swaffham Infant and Nursery school are passionate about promoting reading and enjoy inviting families to join us."