Pupils at a Banbury primary school celebrate National Storytelling Week

Pupils at St John’s Priory School in Banbury loved celebrating National Storytelling Week during the week of January 29 to February 5. This year St John's Priory pupils enjoyed taking part in a range of exciting activities which enhanced their English and literacy learning and sparked their passion for stories.

The week began with everyone wearing their pyjamas to school and bringing in their favourite bedtime stories and cuddly toys. In their music lessons, the children enjoyed a lullaby session, which included listening to and composing lullabies. In their French and Spanish lessons, the children recited traditional stories including ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.’

A particular highlight included the year six prefects reading and storytelling to the youngest members of the school community - Little Conkers nursery and reception children. The day concluded with Headmistress Mrs Tracey Wilson and a group of children paying a visit to the famous phone box library landmark located right outside the school.

Throughout the week, the children produced wonderful stories which included year one building and illustrating their very own dinosaur adventure stories.

The whole school went on a school trip to the Story Museum in Oxford, and participated in storytelling sessions and workshops and visited the very lamp post which inspired C.S Lewis to write about Narnia. Children also had the opportunity to enter a reading competition, which involved posing with their favourite story books. The winner was a pupil from year two who held a tea party for her teddies, while she read to them.

Headmistress Mrs Tracey Wilson said: “Storytelling is a traditional way to entertain. Storytelling activities help our children to internalise narrative patterns and to develop their skills as storytellers and writers - impacting directly on their academic outcomes - whilst having fun.

"Finding the time to read and enjoy stories with children can be a challenge, especially with the distractions of modern technology, but there is nothing more rewarding and valuable than sharing stories, and this is something that we actively encourage at SJP.”