Did somebody say Just Read? a novel way to get Blackpool kids reading

That famous line which has become so familiar during lock down has taken on a new life helping youngsters across the Fylde Coast to develop their reading.

Secondary school pupils are literally eating their words as a new way of promoting reading takes hold.

With libraries out of bounds due to Covid-19 restrictions, teachers are having to come up with innovative ways to make sure that their pupils don't fall behind with their reading.

Staff at Montgomery High are certainly giving pupils food for thought with their latest idea. It involves them being fed with a vast selection of tomes to keep them busy outside of lessons.

Borrowing a famous takeaway slogan and putting books in pizza boxes, Montgomery Academy has made sure no-one is deprived of the chance to get their hands on a good book languishing on the shelves of the vast library.

Students are provided with a menu of a slice of reading which corresponds to their favourite pizza toppings to choose from and staff say the idea has gone down a treat.

In addition to this, schools across the Fylde Coast Academy Trust have also been working with Lancashire writer Joe Delaney who has produced a range of films about reading, writing and the role of film which teachers can play in their classrooms.

Afterwards children are able to ask questions which sent to Joe and he will respond to by making bespoke films for all of the secondary academies in the trust.

Joe said: “Current problems prevent live author visits to schools. So I have tried to develop new ways of engaging with students and encouraging them to read.

"Consequently, I have made a number of films about my books and the writing process. After the films are viewed in class, questions are collected and then I answer them using either live or recorded Zoom sequences.

"That keeps the whole thing interactive and is the next best thing to the visits that I did previously and enjoyed.”