Celebrating World Book Day
Students and staff at Bedales marked World Book Day on 7 March with a series of reading-related events, bringing the school community together in a shared appreciation of books.
At Bedales Prep and Pre-prep, the day was marked by an imaginative display of costumes as students and staff dressed up as their favourite literary characters for the day, ranging from Roald Dahl’s formidable Miss Trunchbull to Michael Bond’s beloved Paddington Bear.
The English department at Bedales Senior also dressed up for the occasion, with representations of Holden Caulfield from J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, John Keats' Isabella, or the Pot of Basil, and two interpretations of Shakespeare’s Titania from A Midsummer Night's Dream – one literal and the other historical-metaphorical.
As well as costumes, children at the Pre-prep showcased their creativity by crafting hats inspired by their favourite book characters, drawing inspiration from classics such as Dr Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Storytelling was at the heart of Bedales’ World Book Day celebrations, highlighting the power of shared narratives and collaboration across the school community.
The Memorial Library became a creative sanctuary for the afternoon, bringing together Block 4 (Year 10) and Block 2 (Year 8) students to share their original written compositions in an inspiring exchange of ideas. The session – which forms part of Block 2 students’ from Bedales Prep to Senior – concluded with an outdoor creative writing workshop led by Bedales Senior’s Head of English David Anson, where students had the opportunity to practise their writing skills amidst the picturesque surroundings of the Bedales estate.
In another collaboration, Group 1 (Year 4) students visited the Pre-prep to read to children in Year 3, who will be making the transition to the Prep School in September. Simon Kingsley-Pallant, Head of Drama and Dance at Bedales Prep, also visited the Nursery, where he captivated Bedales’ youngest learners by reading stories.
Children at Bedales Pre-prep also took part in engaging storytelling workshops with storyteller Kwame Bakoji-Hume from African Activities, who visited the school to share stories of Anasai, a cheeky spider from Ghana, as well as traditional Ghanian music.
World Book Day was created by UNESCO in 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. Today, it is marked in 100 countries around the globe, to encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success.
Colin Baty, Head of Bedales Prep, commented: “It was wonderful to see so many students and staff embracing the spirit of the day by dressing up as their favourite book characters. It was particularly warming to see the Bedales community’s bond over shared stories – reading plays such an important part in the development of a lifelong love of learning that we encourage in all our students.”
David Anson, Bedales Senior’s Head of Faculty: English, added: “World Book Day is a great opportunity to talk about literature and reading with students both at school and at home and, as ever, we want to encourage all of our students to read as often as they can, both for their mental wellbeing and academic enrichment.”