The School That Got Teens Reading

As part of the BBC’s #LoveToRead campaign, The School That Got Teens Reading explores the challenge of inspiring reluctant teenagers to read. Actor and comedian Javone Prince comes in to shake up the classroom, with the help of presenter and author Helen Skelton.

Ripley Academy in Lancaster is the biggest and one of the most successful schools in Lancashire, but despite its outstanding Ofsted report the Academy can’t get its pupils to engage in one of the most important skills imaginable - reading.

It's a problem that secondary schools and parents are facing across the country. Ripley has exhausted every technique and tried hundreds of books. Now it’s time for something completely new: they’ve invited actor and comedian Javone Prince to shake things up a bit - and life in school is about to change.

With the help of Helen Skelton, Javone’s mission is to inspire Ripley’s most reluctant readers to take the plunge, and make reading for pleasure a habit for life.

Publicity contact: BC