A LIBRARIAN has helped Preston Lodge High School clinch a national reading award.

The school was named the national winner for the Reading Inspiration Challenge, with particular praise reserved for librarian Derek France.

The Prestonpans school was not the only East Lothian school scooping a prize at the First Minister’s Reading Challenge.

Elphinstone Primary School took the school and community partnership award.

The winners were announced on Wednesday by the Children’s Laureate and best-selling author of the How to Train Your Dragon series Cressida Cowell.

Now in its fifth year, the First Minister’s Reading Challenge is run by Scottish Book Trust.

The awards recognise the efforts of schools and pupils to support reading for enjoyment and create a reading culture in their school, home or community.

All those who entered this year will receive book tokens, with the winners also receiving a trophy.

Preston Lodge’s entry was put together by their school librarian and promoted reading with a variety of events, despite the school’s closure over lockdown.

They ran a virtual library escape room and lockdown library clubs, and the panel commended their creativity and resilience in trying new ideas to keep the whole school reading.

Gavin Clark, headteacher, was delighted with the success and praised Mr France.

He said: “Well done to Derek France, our librarian, on winning this year’s Reading Inspiration Challenge, and the many, many students that have worked with him to turn Preston Lodge’s library from a good place to a great place – where reading is at the centre of not just what the library does, but the whole school.

“It’s been amazing!”

As for Elphinstone Primary, the judges felt that the partnerships the school built around reading for pleasure were incredibly meaningful and placed reading at the centre of their community with their Elphy Tales project.

They worked closely with local storyteller and Courier columnist Tim Porteus to embed storytelling into everyday school life, including during lockdown.

Melanie Collier, principal teacher at Elphinstone Primary, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive the First Minister’s Reading Challenge award and feel very proud that our pupils’ wonderful reading journey has been recognised.

“The aim of the Elphy Tales project was to help create a positive reading culture both within school and at home, through the art of storytelling.

“The impact so far is evident through the detailed pictures they draw in early years to the increased creativity in the imaginative writing from the upper school.

“This is only the beginning and we cannot wait to continue this storytelling journey with our pupils and celebrate their reading and writing achievements in the months to come.”

Councillor Fiona Dugdale, cabinet member for education and children’s services, said: “Elphinstone Primary’s Elphy Tales shows how storytelling offers an ideal opportunity to involve the wider community to inspire children, rooting them in their own area.

“Preston Lodge has created a culture and forum for sharing books, ideas, opinions and critical discussion through its library.

“This is a wonderful achievement for both schools and all the children and young people.”