Parent volunteers are the stars of storytime at Brecknock School

ONCE upon a time there was a primary school where parents cared so much they gave up their time every Friday morning to read stories to the children.

This is the tale of storytime at Brecknock School, in Camden Town, where pupils break off into little groups at the start of the day and parents come in to read to them.

When the New Journal visited on Friday morning, the hit reading scheme was in full swing with little ears open to the tale of The Hungry Caterpillar and The Gruffalo.

Asked whether the idea was part of The Big Society – the government initiative to get people to replace public services with volunteers – parents said: “No. This is Brecknock Society. It isn’t about doing teachers’ jobs, it is about helping out and adding to what goes on here.”

Deputy headteacher Patrick Mildren said: “We wanted the school to feel more open to parents, that it wasn’t just a place where you dropped off your child at the start of the day and then picked them up in the afternoon.” 

Around 10 parents are regulars and there is hope the scheme will expand and spread to other schools. Emma Stockton, one of the parents who helped start the scheme, said: “I was on maternity leave and thinking about how we could help the school. Reading is something we can all do and something young children really value.”

Published: 21st July, 2011
by RICHARD OSLEY