Hull schoolboy wins national award after reading over a million words
‘I’VE ASTONISHED MYSELF’: Feranmi Adesina of Estcourt Primary Academy
By Simon Bristow
A Hull schoolboy who read more than a million words in an academic year has won a national reading award.
Feranmi Adesina, ten, from Estcourt Primary Academy, won ‘Most Words Read by a Pupil (KS2)’ for reading over a million words on the online reading development programme Reading Plus.
He was also shortlisted for the ‘Reading Plus Star of the Year (KS2)’ award, which recognises the overall exceptional hard work and achievement of pupils.
The Reading Plus Awards is an annual event organised by Reading Solutions UK, the home of Reading Plus, to recognise and celebrate the achievements of pupils, teachers, and schools across the country.
Nathan Ullah, Year 6 Teacher and Reading Lead at Estcourt, who nominated Feranmi, said: “Feranmi’s confidence is now at an all-time high after hearing this news. In his own words, he is ‘astonished’, and I have seen how proud he is of the achievement.
“Reading Plus has helped his reading skills by providing a wide range of texts and questions that cover different reading content domains. He cannot believe he has read so many words himself.”
Feranmi, who received a trophy, a certificate, and a £25 Amazon voucher, said: “It feels great to win this award – it is a very high achievement! I have only been in this school for one and a half years, but I have completely astonished myself at this point. I didn’t even know I was being nominated. I knew I had read a lot of words but never felt it was the most in Key Stage 2.
“People who love reading should have a chance to use Reading Plus because it is really fun and helps boost your confidence.”
ACHIEVEMENT: Wolfreton pupils Emilie Nickerson, right, who won a Reading Plus award, and Rohan Chamberlain, who was a runner-up
Lee Carrick, Reading Development Consultant at Reading Solutions UK, said: “What Feranmi has managed to achieve, reading over a million words, is beyond incredible. We had to double-check that the number was correct!
“It is fantastic to hear he enjoyed Reading Plus so much. We wish him all the best of luck in his future reading endeavours.”
Emilie Nickerson, from Wolfreton School and Sixth Form College, won the national ‘Best Home Usage (KS3/4)’ award for her commitment to using Reading Plus outside of school.
She also received a trophy, a certificate, and a £25 Amazon voucher. Emilie said: “I didn’t know I was nominated; it was definitely a good surprise. I feel very happy to win – I never win anything!”
Fellow Wolfreton pupil Rohan Chamberlain, 12, was a runner-up for ‘Reading Plus Star of the Year (KS3-KS4)’.
Assistant Headteacher Gavin Clark said: “Reading Plus has made a difference to our students’ confidence with reading. The way the programme is set up makes it easy for students to feel a sense of achievement and to understand their progress.
“I would recommend the programme; students like to use it, and unlike other reading programmes, it provides clarity for staff about student progress, and the data is easy to analyse.”
Find out more about Reading Plus here