Awards for Oldham schools helping children to discover a love of reading

Primary schools in Oldham have been recognised for outstanding performance in the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge Read to the Beat.

The challenge, delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with public libraries, encouraged children to discover the joy of reading through the theme Read to the Beat, celebrating music, rhythm and the power of stories. 

Royton Hall Primary School, St Martin’s Primary School and Greenfield Primary School were recognised as the schools with the highest participation out of 92 schools taking part across Oldham. 

Representatives from Oldham Libraries and partner Kajima, which supports opportunities to encourage children to read and celebrate their success, visited each school to award book tokens in recognition of pupils’ commitment to reading. 

Kajima has sponsored the Summer Reading Challenge for the sixth year running, encouraging Oldham children towards a lifelong love of books. 

The challenge highlights the importance of partnerships between schools, libraries and local organisations in supporting children’s literacy, building reading confidence and making reading an exciting and rewarding experience. 

Suzanne Hudson, Senior Development Officer for Oldham Heritage, Libraries and Arts said, “It’s fantastic to see so many children across Oldham getting involved in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. 

"Reading helps children build confidence, develop their imaginations and discover a lifelong love of books. We’re delighted to recognise Royton Hall Primary, St Martin’s Primary and Greenfield Primary for their fantastic participation, and we’re incredibly grateful to Kajima for sponsoring the challenge and helping us celebrate the children’s achievements.” 

Oldham Libraries thanked all participating schools for their support and enthusiasm in helping to make this year’s challenge a success. 

Residents are welcome to attend their local library, with free access to books, fun activities, reading and writing groups and much more to help children to fall in love with reading. Find out more here.