Students enjoy a day of inspiring activities for World Book Day

During our Skills Day on Friday 6th March, Dartmouth Academy children and students from Nursery up to Year 10 celebrated World Book Day with a wide range of activities exploring the world of books and stories. Both staff and students looked amazing as they dressed as their favourite children's book characters. Some of the costumes included characters from Tin Tin, Asterix, Where's Wally, Gangster Granny, The Gruffalo and many more. The aim of the day was to answer the questions; 'What are the key elements that make a children's book special?' and 'How do we develop a love of reading into adulthood?'.

The day started off with parents and secondary students reading aloud to primary pupils to help reinforce the importance of reading at home. Students in Years 1-9 were then challenged with decorating their classroom doors to represent their favourite book before giving a presentation to other students about the book and why they chose it. Year 10 students spent the morning producing a play for the rest of the school where they explored themes and recited passages from well known stories. The performance in the Newcomen Hall included multi-media projection and a live musical accompaniment from the GCSE music group. Vice Principal Nick Bowles said, "From the moment of seeing so many parents and older students reading with the primary pupils, I knew we were on the road to a great day. The pupils were excited and engaged throughout." He added, "Throughout the morning there was a real sense of being 'in it together' and the all-through nature was evident in the way the pupils mixed and showcased their work to each other. The door displays were fantastic and showed a real range of skill and creativity."