Pupils at a South Ayrshire secondary school have received a visit from the First Minister who congratulated them on winning a national reading challenge.

Nicola Sturgeon visited Prestwick Academy recently to tell students that they had won the Reading Inspiration Award in the First Minister’s Reading Challenge.

In a ceremony last week, Ms Sturgeon was present as pupils received their award.

The First Minister’s Reading Challenge is run by the Scottish Book Trust and aims to help children and young people between the ages of 5 and 18 develop a love of reading.

The trust provide support to schools, libraries and communities across Scotland to develop reading cultures and give very child in Scotland the opportunity to experience the benefits, and the fun, of reading for pleasure.

One of the projects highlighted in the winning entry was the Read Woke Scotland initiative, a challenge introduced by the school library to read more diverse and inclusive titles. This was then expanded to local primary schools and involved an S1 transition project, where ‘A Kind of Spark’ by author Elle McNicoll was gifted to all primary 7 pupils as part of their transition to secondary school.

Councillor Stephen Ferry, South Ayrshire Council’s portfolio holder for education, said: "Congratulations to Prestwick Academy on their fantastic achievement.

"This award recognises the school’s approach to reading, ensuring that it’s not only at the forefront of the curriculum but a pleasurable experience.

"Key to the school’s success is the time taken by staff to understand the genres and subjects that appeal to each pupil, it’s then a case of nurturing that interest through the written word. The school library has played a key role in this positive approach and the enthusiasm of library staff has been amazing.

"Well done to all the young people at the school, who have embraced this different approach to learning."

Elaine Harrigan, head teacher at Prestwick Academy said: "Prestwick Academy has a long-established history of developing a positive reading culture, which can have a huge impact on attainment and future wellbeing.

"The benefits of reading across the curriculum are well known, and engaging young people in reading is one of our highest priorities.

"Our school library is at the heart of the school and our librarians work hard to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to discover a love of reading.

"I hope this success provides further inspiration for future young people at Prestwick Academy."