On Friday 1st May Friends' School held a Big Read event in support of the 'Send my Friend to School Campaign'. The campaign asks children and young people in schools around the world to send messages to their governments to remind them of pledges and promises made to fund education for every child by 2015. We were very pleased that our local MP Sir Alan Haselhurst accepted our invitation to come in to school to speak to us about his role as an MP and also to take part in some of the day's events. The day began with a special assembly in which Year 8 pupils explained the aims of the campaign and the whole school joined voices in a Big Read of 'The Story of the Pencil' by Paulo Coelho. Events then moved to the library which had been transformed by Librarian Judith Brown and our Artist-in residence Iona McCuaig into a magical reading den with beanbags, fairylights and beautiful window decorations inspired by 'The Hungry Caterpillar'. Senior school children worked with children from the nursery, Reception and Year 1 classes, sharing stories they had written themselves and favourite childhood books. Children from both the junior and senior schools learned more about how education can change lives and help children escape from poverty and sent messages to Gordon Brown asking him to support 'Send my Friend to School'. 

Many thanks to Jessica Armitage for organising this event.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge.

Photos by Kirsten Batcheler