Reading bus set for playground stop

A North Yorkshire primary school is set to boost its literacy offer after securing funding to transform a double decker bus into a dedicated reading space.

Whitley & Eggborough Community Primary School has been raising money to purchase a 13-metre York Pullman bus and convert it into a new home for its books, as well as a flexible area for learning and creative activities. 

A £10,000 grant from County Durham-based developer the Banks Group has now enabled the project to move forward, with York-based Unconventional Design appointed to begin the conversion.

Pupils are helping shape the interior plans, with features set to include the original driver’s seat and steering wheel, alongside the school mascot, CHaS the Dragon.

The school hopes the bus will be in place on its playground by September, ready for the new academic year.

Diane Steward, school business manager at Whitley & Eggborough Community Primary School, said: “Our pupils have an absolute passion for reading and everyone’s already really excited about having something so unusual at our school that’s specifically designed to help nurture and encourage this love for books.

“After converting our former library area into a new classroom, we were looking at a number of different options for where we kept all our books, and when we saw a similar reading bus project at another school, we immediately felt it would be a great option for us too.

“It will offer our pupils so many different things, from a quiet place to spend time reading to extra space for their learning and creative activities, and having it parked on the playground means that it’ll be easily accessible at all times.

“Giving children the chance to see their ideas featuring in the design will make it extra special for them and we know that everyone’s going to want to spend as much time onboard as they possibly can.

“The Banks Group’s continuing support for our school has made the key difference towards turning our ambitions into reality and we’re hugely grateful for the generous contribution they’ve made to this fantastic project.”

Banks has previously supported the school with a £2000 grant to create an outdoor reading area, reinforcing its commitment to community projects in the area.

Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at the Banks Group, added: “This is an absolutely amazing project which links in perfectly with this year being the National Year For Reading and we’re as excited as everyone at the school is about seeing it moving forward.

“Generations of local children are going to benefit from this wonderful new creation and we’re very pleased to be able to help put the wheels on the bus in motion.

“We’ve been working with the local community around Eggborough for more than five years and have so far provided more than £20,000 in grant funding to some fantastic local charities, groups and schools.

“We are hopeful that we’ll get a decision on our plans for an integrated extension to the west of Eggborough   in the coming months, so we can deliver even more direct, long-term benefits to the local community while also helping North Yorkshire Council meet its housing targets.”

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