The winners of the HarperCollins Reading for Pleasure Awards 2024, in association with the Open University and the UK Literacy Association (UKLA), have been announced.

Each year since its launch in 2017, the awards have recognised and celebrated teachers who are putting Reading for Pleasure at the heart of their classrooms in creative and innovative ways, to inspire children to read.

This year, bestselling author Hannah Gold joined the judging panel as the guest judge.

The winners were awarded across six categories this year, with each category receiving £250 worth of books from across Farshore, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Collins and Barrington Stoke along with 20 copies of Help Your Child Love Reading by Alison David. 

Early Career Winner:
Charlotte Squirrell, Moorlands Church of England Primary Academy, Norfolk

Charlotte was recognised for her child-centric and diversity-led approach to developing a reading community within the school. The judges were impressed to see such a strong start from a passionate teacher at the  beginning of her career.

Experienced Teacher Joint Winners:
Chris Soul, Watford St John’s Church of England Primary School, Watford
Imogen Maund, Caldecott Primary School, Oxfordshire

The judges applauded Imogen for going on a deep-dive into poetry, enthusing not only her class, but also inspiring the entire school to develop an ambitious plan for poetry.  With Chris, the judges were very impressed with his approach to engaging the whole school with the Storytime in School project, created by Farshore to encourage daily storytime in the classroom, and to extend his influence and experience to other schools. The judges were also very impressed with the school reading podcast. 

Experienced Teacher Highly Commended: 
Claire Burton-Gardner, Turnfurlong Junior School, Buckinghamshire

The judges also gave a Highly Commended award to Claire Burton-Gardner from Turnfurlong Junior School for working hard to broaden the texts that children have access to within their school environment, with author visits throughout the year.

School Reading Champion Joint Winners:
Henrietta Englefield, Colfe's Senior School, London
Kathryn Handley, The Sir Donald Bailey Primary Academy, Nottinghamshire

The judges were delighted to award Henrietta as they thought she demonstrated how reading can be implemented successfully in a secondary school setting which would be inspirational for other teachers to see. Kathryn was praised for her involvement of parents in encouraging a reading for pleasure habit beyond the classroom.

Whole School Winner:
Lydgate Infant School, Sheffield submitted by Vikki Varley and Daisy Whitehead

The entry was submitted by Vikki Varley and Daisy Whitehead. The judges highlighted that this was a school that would be a great inspiration for other schools, with plenty of evidence-based data used as a springboard for a varied and comprehensive approach to embedding reading for pleasure. 

Community Reading Champion Joint Winners:
Cathy Cook, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
Simon Pollard, St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature, Cornwall

Both winners have been commended for being brilliant examples in igniting change in their communities, with Cathy being described by the judges as a trailblazer.

Author’s Choice Winner:
Steeton Primary School, Yorkshire submitted by Claire Redman

Chosen by bestselling author Hannah Gold, who said 'I loved the emphasis on creating numerous tactile reading places throughout the entire school. Spaces which undoubtedly lend a more relaxed, comfortable feel to reading – one of the cornerstones of fostering a reading for pleasure culture. I also have to give a special shout out to Eric Shaw for his incredible hard work and dedication. He sounds like a very special person indeed.’

Alison David, Consumer Insight Director at Farshore, said, ‘We were so impressed with the entries; every year we think they can’t get much better, and they do! It’s a joy to know teachers and educators are focusing on reading for pleasure strategically and with so much imagination and creativity. To read about the impact on children and young people is a delight and cause for enormous optimism.’

Hannah Gold adds, 'Being part of this year's judging process for the Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards has been one of the biggest honours of my career to date. Not only has it confirmed just how vital reading for pleasure is in the classroom, but these awards also give a spotlight to some of the most brilliant, innovative and caring teachers in the UK today.'

Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education at The Open University, commented, ‘These award-winning schools and teachers demonstrate the impact of giving reading for pleasure the respect it deserves. Their investment and involvement in strategically developing positive reader identities has clearly paid dividends. The impact of their work on young lives is evident and warrants both recognition and celebration’.

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