East Suffolk Council
Funding supports young people’s love for literature
Pupils at Felixstowe School honed their creative writing skills during a series of interactive storytelling workshops funded through East Suffolk Council’s Community Partnership programme.
Felixstowe Libraries delivered the workshops to Year Seven and Year Eight students during the week of World Book Day.
The aim was to get more students into reading, by engaging them in fun activities to improve their literacy skills.
One activity, titled ‘Judge a Book by Its Cover’, involved groups of students choosing a book and coming up with a short description of its plot, based on its front cover – allowing groups to showcase their creativity.
An allocation of £2,440 from the Felixstowe Peninsula Community Partnership was granted to allow Suffolk Libraries to deliver the workshops. The funding also covered a visit from the storytellers last year, during the Summer School offered to Year Six pupils due to attend Felixstowe School in September.
Members of the Felixstowe Peninsula Community Partnership identified a need to support young people in the area whose learning and social life had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cllr Rosie Smithson, Chair of the Felixstowe Peninsula Community Partnership, said:
“The pandemic had a significant impact on young people's literacy and social skills.
“This storytelling project aimed to build confidence and communication skills which underpin literacy development – as well as a love of reading. The involvement of the Library Service was invaluable.”
Kirsty Tallent and Lorna Garside, two freelance storytellers, delivered the workshops to the pupils.
Kirsty said:
“We want to encourage young people to read for pleasure, have confidence to tell stories, and engage with library services, which are about so much more than being silent and borrowing books.”
Lorna added:
“The pupils have been really creative and vocal, and the level of emotional maturity in their stories is a real credit to them.”
Thom Maltby, Head of English and Assistant Headteacher, said:
“We had a really successful storytelling visit for our summer school and were pleased to invite them back for the week of World Book Day.
“As well as linking into Key Stage Three, its’ an opportunity to develop creativity, roleplaying and characterisation, and to promote a love of reading and literature.”