World Book Day 2025

World Book Day Celebrations

This week, Westbourne Senior School was brimming with literary excitement as we marked World Book Day with a series of engaging activities designed to inspire a love of reading among our pupils.

A World of Characters

On Thursday, pupils had the option to come to school dressed as their favourite book characters, and we were delighted by the creativity on display! From Oompa Loompas and Mr Bump to characters from The Midnight Gang, the variety was truly impressive. The best costume competition was particularly exciting, with Stelios taking the prize for his fantastic portrayal of Hercule Poirot and Doneyo, impressing everyone by staying in character as a dinosaur from Jurassic Park throughout the entire day. Both winners received a certificate and a book token in recognition of their efforts.

Staff also joined in the fun, with many dressing up or bringing in props as clues to their literary identities, awarding house points to pupils who successfully guessed them. Mrs Moss and Miss Smith made a particularly memorable impression, arriving as characters from the dystopian fiction genre, a nod to the Year 9 curriculum.

Engaging Activities and Fundraising Success

A highlight of the celebrations was the bake sale, run by our academic scholars during break time. A huge thank you to all pupils and staff who contributed their delicious cakes and bakes, helping to raise an incredible £174. This amount will be split between our school charity of the year, PACT, and the Senior School Library, ensuring that our love of books continues to be supported.

Over the past few weeks, our academic scholars in Years 7-10 have also collaborated on a unique literary project: creating a set of Literary Top Trumps cards. Featuring favourite book characters as nominated by Year 7 and 8 pupils, these cards proved to be a hit, with Year 7 pupils enjoying them as a fun starter activity in their English lessons on Thursday afternoon.

Macbeth Theatre Performance for Years 9-11

Rounding off a fantastic week of literary celebrations, our senior pupils were treated to a live theatre experience on Friday afternoon. The MANACTCO theatre group visited Westbourne to deliver an abridged performance of Macbeth, bringing Shakespeare’s classic tragedy to life in a dynamic and engaging way. As all pupils are currently studying Macbeth for their GCSE Literature curriculum, this performance was an excellent opportunity to reinforce their understanding of the play’s plot and characters. Following the show, the actors hosted a Q&A session, allowing pupils to delve deeper into the key themes and issues explored in the play.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our World Book Day celebrations this week. Whether through costumes, activities, or performances, it has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the joy of reading and storytelling together!