At Great Bowden Academy, reading is one of our BIG things, so it’s no surprise that World Book Day is one of our favourite days of the year!

This year the children came to school dressed for our ‘Cosy Up and Read’ non-uniform day, and we loved seeing the fantastic decorated masks inspired by their favourite books. It was a brilliant way to celebrate the stories and characters that children love most.

We started the day with a whole school World Book Day assembly, before heading back to class to explore our whole-school text, ‘The Barnabus Project’ by the Fan Brothers. Inspired by the story of Barnabus – a “failed project” who escapes a secret lab to find a place where he belongs – the children completed creative writing and artwork, thinking carefully about the themes of belonging, difference and acceptance.

Later in the morning, the children met in their school houses for a fun Book Cover Treasure Hunt, searching for clues hidden around the school. This was followed by one of our favourite parts of the day – paired reading, where older pupils teamed up with younger ones to share and read their favourite books brought in from home.

In the afternoon, after enjoying their Harry Potter themed lunch, classes continued exploring The Barnabus Project, with quizzes, creative activities and a collaborative frieze, before finishing the day with more paired reading in house groups.

It was a wonderful day celebrating the joy of books, stories and reading together. A huge well done to all our readers.