A LOCAL school and nursery celebrated this year’s World Book Day with a series of events and activities.

Lea Primary School and Gateway Lodge Nursery took the opportunity to promote the joy of reading and celebrate the many stories that inspire the youngsters.

To mark the occasion, pupils were invited to dressed up as a character from their favourite book.

The result saw a wide range of creative costumes being worn around the school, with children proudly sharing the stories behind their chosen characters.

As part of the event the school held a sponsored read where children spent time reading throughout the day to help raise money for new books and reading resources for the school.

Another highlight of the day was creating a whole-school display of the pupil’s favourite books and stories. Each child produced a piece of artwork inspired by their favourite book, which was then combined to form a display in the school hall, celebrating the stories the children love most.

The day finished with a second-hand book swap in the hall. Children brought in books they had already enjoyed and exchanged them for a different one to take home. This meant that every child left school with a ‘new’ book to read and enjoy.

And to continue the celebrations at home, all children also took home their World Book Day vouchers, which can be used to purchase one of the special £1 World Book Day books.

A spokesperson for Lea Primary School said: “It has been wonderful to see the diverse range of books enjoyed across our school and nursery.

“It was a truly fantastic day celebrating reading, creativity, and the joy of sharing stories.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support in encouraging children to take part and helping us continue to develop our reading provision and make World Book Day such a success.