Sports star, TV presenter and author, Ade Adepitan, recently visited Castle Primary School in Keynsham as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.
The visit not only allowed pupils at the school to witness his mind-boggling wheelchair basketball skills, but he also paid a special visit to the Adepitan Class, named in his honour by the children, before spending time answering their questions about himself, his newest book Cyborg Cat and the Night Spider and how he found his inner superhero to help him achieve his dreams.
The past 12 months have been exciting time at Castle Primary School in Keynsham, following the celebration of its 50th Anniversary and the completion of its expansion to two-form entry. The four new classrooms, in addition to the existing 10, have been named after children’s authors (chosen by the pupils via a poll) as part of a move to further develop every child’s love of reading.
In addition, the school is fundraising with The Friends of Castle PTA to create a new library, including investing over £10,000 in new books.
Headteacher, Chris Cannings, said, “As we continue fundraising for the new library, as part of our aim to instil a lifelong love of reading in all our pupils, Ade’s visit really inspired all our children, with two of our most reluctant readers immediately asking to take copies of his book home with them that very afternoon.
“Ade’s visit has created a real buzz around the school, reflecting the impact of his charismatic presence. The children’s verdict was that his story of overcoming challenges in his life has inspired them to truly believe they can achieve anything, with some adding that it was the best day at school ever!”
Ade donated four copies each of his two children’s books to the school’s new library to ensure all the children will have a chance to read them. As a link to the BBC’s Children in Need on Friday 15 November, Castle’s new School Council plans to repay Ade’s generosity by raising funds for Pudsey.
With the help of the Friends, the school is aiming to raise enough money this year to create an library that inspires children to read for pleasure. The money-raising initiatives include a read-athon to help ensure that every pupil has access to a range of high-quality books. In addition, the Friends would welcome any donations of money or books towards its target.