Pictured: (l-r back) Sarah Franklin (Squire Sanders
Hammonds), Ian Jewkes (Tulip Ltd), Jonathan Fortnam (Pinsent
Masons) and Phil Hunt (BiTC) with Manraj Johal (age 9) and Faith
Jamierson (age 9)
Children from a Birmingham school have teamed up with a dozen
West Midlands companies to show they have the creative writing
skills to match some of the world's best authors.
Year 5 Pupils from Chad Vale Primary in Edgbaston started four
modern tales involving Robin Hood as part of Business in the
Community's (BiTC) first ever Storybook Challenge.
They were then passed on to employees from local companies
including Squire Sanders Hammonds, GF Tomlinson, WSP, Shoosmiths
and Tulip to develop the stories before the children put the
finishing touches by giving them magical endings.
Pupils are now in the process of completing drawings to be added
to the fairy tales, which feature a 'social media battle', 'Robin
Hood doing BMX stunts at Birmingham's Got Talent' and 'Will
Scarlett on a bull down Broad Street'.
When these are completed, the quartet of stories will be bound
and printed for other children and parents to read.
"We were really pleased that the Storybook Challenge proved so
popular with the pupils and businesses alike and I think we've
ended up with some really great stories," explained Sarah Franklin,
Partner at Squire Sanders Hammonds, who are a reading partner to
Chad Vale School.
"More importantly, I believe it has encouraged children to use
their imagination and should hopefully improve their reading skills
at the same time."
She continued: "I know the employees at the different companies
really enjoyed the experience and I hope we'll look at doing
something similar next year."
The BiTC Storybook Challenge involved 12 companies in total and
these were AXA, DAC Beachcroft, GF Tomlinson, Legal & General,
Pinsent Masons, Shoosmiths, Squire Sanders Hammonds, Tulip Ltd,
University College Birmingham, Willmott Dixon and WSP.
It is an important event in the 'Read to Succeed Programme',
which will also be launched in Coventry and Warwickshire in the New
Year.
Robin Haselgrove, Headteacher at Chad Vale Primary, concluded:
"Our Year 5s have really enjoyed the challenge, especially working
with the businesses and then getting to add their own endings to
the story. They're now looking forward to seeing it in print!"
If you would like to get involved in future challenges, please
contact Frances Kenwrick on 0121 451 2227.