Nine primary schools from across the county have received top honours at the Kent Literacy Awards.

Schools from Dartford, Gravesham, Maidstone and Thanet received the awards during a ceremony at Leeds Castle in recognition of their dedication and creativity towards literacy in the classroom.

The winners were praised for initiatives that created a buzz around reading and writing such as book clubs, book corners and book week events, as well as their implementation of the Buster’s Book Club literacy scheme - a pilot initiative designed to increase the levels of reading achieved at home.

The Kent Literacy Awards are organised by the KM Charity Team and supported by Kent County Council (KCC), Leeds Castle, Golding Homes, Orbit South and Three R’s Teacher Recruitment agency.

Alison Floyd, cross phase literacy consultant for KCC, said: "It was a sunny, uplifting day celebrating the reading achievements of the children as they develop their life lasting reading habits."

She added: "We hope this will catch the imagination of all schools across the county and lead to further success.”

Simon Dolby from the KM Charity Team congratulated the triumphant schools.

He said: “Schools have a huge part to play in helping to develop a passion for reading and writing from an early age. Our winners are providing excellent facilities, stimulating the pupils’ imaginations and making literacy fun and accessible throughout their schools.”

The KM Charity Team is also looking for sponsors and partners to support next year’s Kent Literacy Awards. Organisations that are passionate about improving the literacy of the next generation should contact Mr Dolby on 07989 164 752.

Kent Literacy Awards 2014 winners

Dartford area: Best Library Award: St Anselm’s Catholic Primary School; Best Reward Scheme Award: The Craylands School; Best Use of Cross-Curricular Writing Opportunities Award: Maypole CP School.

Gravesham area: Inspiring Book Corner Award: Riverview Junior School; Best Use of Cross-Curricular Writing Opportunities Award: Painters Ash Primary School.

Maidstone area: Best Book Week Award: South Borough Primary School; Special Award: Molehill Copse Primary School; Special Award: St Francis Catholic Primary School.

Thanet area: Best Promotion of Reading for Pleasure Award: Northdown Primary Academy.

A new chapter for pilot reading scheme

A pilot scheme designed to boost children's reading at home will have its formal evaluation next month.

Buster's Book Club has been designed by the KM’s charity department and Kent County Council. The pilot scheme has involved 3,000 children at ten schools and sets pupils a daily home reading target.

Every week the class that achieves the most time spent reading wins the school's Readers of the Week Trophy. Data from the initiative is also used to pick a winning class to reward with a hamper of books or visit from a storyteller, as part of the inter-school reading challenge key to the initiative.

Teachers and literacy leaders attending the Kent Literacy Awards at Leeds Castle last week were buzzing about the success of the initiative prompting Alison Floyd, cross phase literacy consultant at KCC, to tell award winners: “This is a real success story. I am delighted the scheme has taken off as well as it has. Thinking of one of our original aims was about getting children to get the reading habit - this certainly seems to be delivering the outcome we hoped for.”

Buster’s Book Club is supported by Kent County Council, Leeds Castle, Golding Homes, Orbit South and Three R’s Teacher Recruitment agency. Schools wanting to register their interest in Buster's Book Club prior to its expected roll-out next academic year can do so at www.kmcharityteam.co.uk.