An East Dunbartonshire primary school has had a special visit from the Waterstones Children’s Laureate.
Balmuildy Primary was the only school in Scotland to host the award-winning author Frank Cottrell-Boyce as part of his three-day literary visit.
The visit took place on November 26 and was organised through the Scottish Book Trust’s Reading Schools programme, which helps schools create a culture of reading for pleasure.
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Lynda Williamson, convener of East Dunbartonshire Council’s education committee, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the children of Balmuildy Primary and is something they will always remember.
“Reading for pleasure is so important to a young person’s development and Balmuildy Primary is doing a wonderful job of instilling a love of the written word in its pupils.
“Well done to them on their achievements so far and a huge thank you to Frank and the Scottish Book Trust for making this visit to East Dunbartonshire to inspire our pupils.”
During his visit, Cottrell-Boyce met with pupils and staff to learn about the school’s progress toward becoming a Gold Reading School.
Currently holding Silver status, Balmuildy is working towards achieving the top-level Gold accreditation.
Pupils from the Reading Committee shared their activities with Cottrell-Boyce, performed the Balmuildy Reading Song, and showcased their reading spaces.
They also talked about the Read Write Count and Bookbug bags they received free last week and explained how parents had been into school to read to classes in their home languages.
Charlotte Grogan, headteacher at Balmuildy Primary, said: “Our reading journey at Balmuildy has been motivating and fun.
“Through their hard work and leadership skills, pupils and staff in our Reading Committee have created a positive reading environment across our whole school.
“We are excited to continue our journey and look forward to embedding this positive reading culture across our school and our community for years to come.”
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Frank Cottrell-Bryce is a multi-award-winning author and screenwriter, known for books such as Millions, The Wonder Brothers and Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth, as well as his work on the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and Doctor Who.
Mark Lambert, chief executive of Scottish Book Trust, said: “As the only school in Scotland to receive a visit from Frank Cottrell-Boyce, pupils were in for a magical experience.
“Author visits to schools are incredibly inspirational and motivational, and hearing directly from the Children’s Laureate is sure to further motivate Balmuildy’s love of reading.
“We also wish the school luck in achieving their Gold status.”
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