A NEW chapter is beginning at a Rugby primary school after it broadened the selection at its library thanks to a donation.
St Gabriel’s C of E Academy in Houlton has bought a range of brand new books to fill the shelves of its newly-expanded library after it received a £1,000 donation from housebuilder Barratt Homes.
Headteacher Andrew Taylor said: “We truly value reading as one of the most important skills children learn during their time with us and so we are grateful to Barratt Homes for supporting us in purchasing more books to add to our collection.
“Children at our school achieve a very high standard in reading and not only that, they show high levels of enjoyment in their reading which is in contrast to the National Reading for Pleasure trends.”
According to the National Literacy Trust, only two in five eight-to-18-year-olds said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2023 – the lowest level since the Trust first asked the question in 2005.
Adrian Evans, Managing Director at Barratt Homes West Midlands, said: “We hope our donation will keep the pupils engaged in reading during their time at the school, as it will help them to strengthen their skills and widen their imaginations.”
