Chesterfield school hits 'superstar' status after reading challenge run over 25 years raises £40k for children in hospital

St Mary’s Catholic High School has been dubbed a Superstar School by children's reading charity Read for Good.

Read for Good’s sponsored Readathon has been running in schools since 1984, motivating millions of children to read for pleasure.

The money raised by schools is used to bring the magic of stories to all of the UK’s major children’s hospitals through brand-new books and storyteller visits, as well as supporting school libraries.

St Mary’s Catholic High School has taken part in 27 sponsored Readathons since 1993 with 25 of these being organised by the school’s librarian, Tracy Carroll.

Tracy said: “Taking part in Readathon helps to develop our pupils as readers and brings the school community together with a shared love of reading.

"Our children look forward to Readathon every year - it’s a great opportunity for them to challenge themselves while reading what they love.”

By running Readathon, St Mary’s Catholic High School has supported generations of readers as well as Read for Good’s unique hospital programme

The school’s 28th Readathon is set to launch in October 2019 where pupils will be sponsored to read whatever they choose from comics to classics in a celebration of reading.

“Every year our pupils astound me with their sheer enthusiasm and motivation - it’s incredibly rewarding for them to know their efforts are benefiting children in hospital.

"We’re extremely proud of what we have achieved running Readathon over the years so to be recognised for this is wonderful," Tracy said.

Justine Daniels, Read for Good’s chief executive, said: “Thousands of schools have run our Readathon over the years and St Mary’s Catholic School has really embraced it in an exceptional way under Tracy’s enthusiastic leadership.

"The school’s commitment to reading has enabled the magic of stories to be brought alive for its pupils, as well as for thousands of children in hospitals across the country.

"So thank you to St Mary’s Catholic High School for reading, raising and being truly amazing."