School near Banbury celebrates World Book Day by hosting month-long exhibition

The exhibition by years seven and eight students at Middleton Cheney’s Chenderit School is centred around artwork but also uses other visual imagery.

On display at the school’s Heseltine Gallery, the exhibition aims to encourage students and visitors to seek and share recommendations of books to develop a read-for-pleasure culture. World Book Day will be celebrated by all schools on Thursday March 7.

Alongside the art on display, Chenderit staff members have submitted photographs of themselves reading, which have also been included in the exhibition.

Amongst these photos are some other familiar faces, including politicians, authors, TV personalities and even vloggers who have provided photos of themselves reading to further promote a book culture.

Tom Christy, head of art, design and technology at Chenderit, and the curator of the exhibition, said: “Reading is the absolute silver bullet in education.

"It’s the magic potion that makes students invincible. Studies show that reading for pleasure improves attainment, concentration, understanding, vocabulary, empathy and even happiness.

“Here at Chenderit, we value the importance of reading. We encourage all students to read independently and for pleasure, and those that do will notice how much it helps them achieve. This exhibition demonstrates our commitment to promoting reading across the school and celebrates the magic of books and stories.”

The exhibition is free to attend and will be open to the public from Monday to Friday from 10am until 4pm.

The display will remain at the gallery until March 28, and visitors have been invited to vote for their favourite artwork.