Teachers across Kent have kick-started Buster’s Book Club this year with a bang – as more schools continue to sign up to the phenomenally successful reading reward scheme.

A deluge of literacy champs attended training sessions staged across the county to find out how to enthuse young readers using Buster’s Book Club.

The KM Charity Team organised the events to discuss the practicalities of its scheme and the best ways to open up the wonderful world of books to children.

Two thirds of the 101 schools signed up to Buster’s Book Club attended one of six sessions – both newcomers and schools who had been taking part for years and were keen to share top tips.

Delegates were given vouchers for nearby attractions to use as competition prizes for their best reading classes. They also received information on the Kent Teacher of the Year awards - currently open to nominations - and the Literacy Stars scheme, which rewards pupils who have made efforts to promote literacy in their schools.

Sessions were held at Bethersden Primary School, between Ashford and Tenterden; St John’s Primary School in Canterbury; Abbey Court School in Strood; Laddingford St Mary’s Primary School, near Paddock Wood; and Pelham Primary School in Bexleyheath.

New Horizons School in St Leonard’s was the training venue for the six Hastings schools which have signed up for the scheme’s first year in Sussex.

Schools project officer Charlotte Hayes said: “More teachers came this year than ever before and they were all receptive to the training.

“It shows the level of enthusiasm there is about the scheme – it’s proven to make such a difference to literacy, particularly with boys who are finding reading challenging.

“We would like to give a special thanks to each of the schools that hosted a session – and we look forward to creating more reading millionaires in 2018.”

Buster's Book Club is the flagship scheme of KM Focus on Reading 2018, the KM Media Group’s campaign to celebrate the work done in Kent schools to help children improve their literacy and appreciate the joys of a good story.

The reading reward scheme officially starts each January but schools can sign up at any point during the year. Each child is given a reading target by age group and classes compete both within the school and across the county to see who can read the most.

Prizes on offer range from tickets to leading leisure attractions such as Leeds Castle and Wildwood to visits from celebrity storytellers – including CBeebies presenters Phil Gallagher and Joanna Adeyinka-Burford, singing star Cheryl Baker, and award-winning children’s author Nick Butterworth.

Last academic year, 26,000 participating children collectively achieved a record seven and a half million minutes of reading – earning them the title of reading millionaires.

Organisations supporting the scheme include Golding Vision (part of Golding Homes), Orbit, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Kent County Council, Medway Council, Little Cheyne Court, Kent Community Foundation, Planet Ice, Diggerland, and Specsavers.

Schools can find out more, or join, by visiting www.bustersbookclub.co.uk or contacting Kathy Beel at kbeel@thekmgroup.co.uk

• To nominate someone for the Kent Teacher of the Year awards before the deadline of March 1, visitwww.kentteacheroftheyear.co.uk