Two Stowmarket High School students chosen from more than 130,000 to be national Reading Plus Champions

Two students from Stowmarket High School have received national reading titles.

Year 9 students Ellie Pollard and Georgia Durrant have been selected as two of only 15 students nationwide to be named Reading Plus Champions.

They were chosen from more than 130,000 students using the DreamBox Reading Plus programme, which is designed to improve reading skills and foster engagement with reading.

The Reading Plus Champion title is awarded to students who demonstrate excellence and significant progress while using the programme.

Expressing her delight at the news, Amy Fitch, deputy curriculum leader of English at Stowmarket High, said: “This is a huge achievement for us at Stowmarket High School and we are elated that our students’ dedication and passion for reading is being recognised.

“Both girls share a real passion for reading in and outside the classroom, and I hope that they're enjoyment can be shared with other students their age.

“Both girls are actively involved with promoting reading and literacy across the school. Ellie has been at the top of the school's Reading Plus leaderboard for two years in a row. She has a huge passion for reading and is accessing texts we would expect A-level students to engage with.

“Georgia is an incredibly hardworking student. Her passion for reading is evident in the classroom and in her homework completion each week. She is a huge part of the school community and attends many extra-curricular activities associated with reading, journalism and performance.”

Ellie and Georgia will each receive a prize kit to celebrate and support the role, and engage in activities such as writing blogs for the Reading Solutions UK website and interviewing children’s authors.

Reading Solutions UK, providers of Reading Plus, organises initiatives to support their programme’s efforts in improving students’ reading skills and promote reading for pleasure.

Lee Carrick, senior reading development consultant for Reading Plus, said: “Ellie and Georgia should be incredibly proud of their achievement, and I can’t wait to see what they continue to achieve in their new role.”