Ashfield school students devour new books to “stretch and challenge”

The books were chosen by the Two Counties Trust to “stretch and challenge” students while exposing them to “the delights of plot, characterisation and theme”.

Headteachers, librarians, literacy leads, and students at each school attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the special day and the Trust’s record investment in reading and literacy.

The Two Counties Trust is made up of nine secondary schools educating 11,000 students across both counties and the investment has a value of over £54,000 - the largest investment in books the Trust has ever made.

It forms a key part of the Trust’s wider work around literacy which is having a real impact on students across all nine schools.

Wesley Davies, Chief Executive of The Two Counties Trust, said: “At The Two Counties Trust we recognise the impact reading can have on a student’s understanding of the world we share.

"That is why we’re proud to have made the biggest ever investment in our libraries with 7,000 new books for our students. I am looking forward to reading our students’ reviews and seeing the impact it has on their life choices.”

Daniel Goodall, Trust English Lead at The Two Counties Trust, said: “We know the importance of reading cannot be underestimated and, we all know, that curling up with a good book is one life’s greatest pleasures.

"At The Two Counties Trust, we take Literacy seriously and our carefully curated reading lists allow our students to be transported from one world to another, encountering the delights of plot, characterisation and theme.

“I am delighted our students now have access to 7000 new books in our brilliantly stocked libraries and I can’t wait to hear about what our students have been reading.”