Winners of the Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards revealed

Teachers Janay Brazier, Katy Bland and Kiran Satti have won the Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023. 

The award celebrates teachers who "put reading for pleasure at the heart of their classrooms" with each category winner receiving £250 worth of Farshore books and 20 copies of Help Your Child Love Reading (Farshore) by Alison David. 

Brazier, teacher at Braiswick Primary School, Colchester, won in the "early career" category for her emphasis on reading aloud, autonomy when choosing books and the creation of a "book nook" where children sit with a friend and share books together. 

In the "experienced teacher" category, Bland triumphed for an initiative where teachers picked a newly published book and one from their childhood from a local bookshop and displayed these in a treasure chest for children to borrow from. Bland works at Spotland Primary School, Rochdale. 

Hailing from Wallbrook Primary Academy, Coseley, Satti was crowned winner of the "school reading champion" category for creating time in the school day to "read together as a community and encouraging discussions that stimulate a richer reading experience". Satti also won the in the "author’s choice" category judged by J T Williams, author of the Lizzie and Belle Mysteries (Farshore) chidren’s series. 

Williams commented: "The most compelling aspect of Kiran’s work was the drive to develop empathy by placing equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of book selection. Kiran’s informal book talk also spoke straight to the heart of my own values regarding children’s reading." 

In the final category — awarded to a school — Grove Road Community Primary School, Harrogate, and Warren Academy, Nottingham, were joint winners for working "diligently to foster a reading for pleasure habit, seeing positive shifts in attitude with children, teachers and parents". In both schools books were shared between students and teachers "with a strong focus on enabling children to choose books that reflect their community". 

Alison David, Farshore consumer insight director, said: “It’s such a joy to see the creative, imaginative and important work teachers do to encourage children to read for pleasure. There can be few things more important in education and in life: reading for pleasure is associated with better academic results and with wellbeing. These award-winning teachers are a total inspiration.”   

The prize is run in association with Open University and the UK Literacy Association.