This week pupils at a Romsey primary school have been celebrating with one of their reading volunteers.

Gill Stride, a volunteer reader at Romsey Abbey C of E Primary School, was nominated for the Renaissance Accelerated Reader Project Manager’s award for her excellent commitment to and outstanding management of the school’s Accelerated Reader scheme.

Kathryn Holyland, Year 4 class teacher said: “I nominated Mrs Stride for this award because without her, the school’s Accelerated Reading Scheme would not be as well organised and as valued as it is in the school today. Mrs Stride and her team of volunteers read with the children each week.

"These wonderful volunteers are loved by children throughout the school and they encourage the children to take pride in and have a love of reading.

"Mrs Stride does this through her volunteering role within the school and her own love of reading and a love of helping others. She is a true volunteer superhero."

Headteacher, Julie-Ann Palfrey said: “We aim to promote confidence and positive attitudes towards reading.

"Our children have access to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction reading books from within our school reading scheme so they can experience a range of different text types.

"Pupils are exposed to a wide choice of authors and genres of storytelling with their understanding checked at the end of each book by taking an electronic quiz.

"We encourage our pupils to develop a passion for reading as they are given the opportunity every week to borrow books from our well-stocked library."