A BARRHEAD school has been praised at the House of Commons for its efforts to help youngsters discover the joy of reading.

Hillview Primary achieved a Silver Award accreditation in the Reading Schools programme for its use of physical books and audio books, as well as inviting guest readers into the school for storytelling events.

Now an Early Day Motion (EDM) commending the school’s success has been raised at the UK Parliament by East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald.

The SNP politician also visited Hillview Primary to present staff and pupils with a copy of the EDM.

Ms Oswald told the Barrhead News: “I was delighted to visit Hillview Primary School to present them with the Early Day Motion that I laid down in Westminster.

“The evidence shows that reading from an early age is good for literacy and overall wellbeing.

“It was evident to me when I visited how engaged the pupils from Hillview Primary were and it is obvious that they all thoroughly enjoyed the Reading Schools programme.

“I have no doubt that their passion for reading will be long lasting.

“The staff at Hillview Primary deserve credit for organising and facilitating the Reading Schools programme, which involved a substantial amount of work.”

The programme is developed by the Scottish Book Trust and aims to help schools introduce and sustain a reading culture for young learners.

It is open to every school in Scotland and teaching staff must produce an action plan to demonstrate how they intend to increase readership within their school.

In addition, the programme offers opportunities for collaboration between schools, as well as professional development opportunities for staff members.

For more details, visit www.readingschools.scot.