Students and staff at an academy in High Wycombe are celebrating after their new family literacy scheme scooped a cash prize in a national awards contest.

The Highcrest Academy won £400 after being voted runner-up in in the LiteracyActionNet Awards 2014 for innovation by schools.

The accolade came after Sam Holdsworth, Head of English, introduced Family Literacy Evenings in May for a group of Year 7s and their parents.

The initiative was one of nine projects shortlisted out of 30 in the awards contest, and it has been announced that Highcrest was one of two runners-up. Judges praised the calibre of entries and said Highcrest and the other runner-up only just missed out on the top prize, which was won by the Hope School near Liverpool.

Principal Shena Moynihan said: "What an achievement. Teachers, parents and students should feel really proud to have done so well in this. The prize money will be given back to the English department to use for literacy projects."

The aim of the Highcrest scheme was to support students who were keen to develop their own literacy skills - and Mr Holdsworth is delighted with its success which he says has boosted the confidence and skills of the pupils involved.

"The sessions were designed to help parents become aware of how we assess literacy at school and empower them with strategies to support their child at home," he said.

A total of £2,000 prize money was handed out to winning projects from the awards, presented by the JJ Charitable Trust with Lemos&Crane.

See http://www.literacyactionnet.org.uk/