• Mrs Sarah French

  Executive Head Teacher

  Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
  
  Tom's Midnight Garden - Philippa Pearce
  
  As a child I remember being captivated by the book 'Tom’s Midnight Garden' by Philippa Pearce. A teacher at my primary school read it to our class and I loved it; the vivid images of the grandfather clock and ice-skating really sparked a love of reading.
  Now I enjoy reading a variety of books and I am part of a Book Club where we get to talk about the books we read- I love this almost as much as the reading itself.

• Miss Helen Neil

  Assistant Headteacher - STUDY ZONE (Year 5/6)

  Designated Safeguarding Lead
  
  Private Peaceful - Michael Morpurgo
  
  The story begins just before the onset of the first World War and is based on the lives of the Peaceful Brothers: Big Joe (the eldest brother who has learning difficulties), Charlie and Tommo. It is Tommo’s first day at school and he is a little scared, but a girl, Molly, is kind to him and they become friends. Charlie also becomes friends with Molly and they eventually fall in love, get married and Molly becomes pregnant, just as Charlie decides he must go away and fight in the war, even though he is underage. Tommo decides to go with him and the two brothers go off to war. They have many horrible experiences, including being under the command of Sergeant Hanley, who commands their group to do something so ridiculous, Charlie refuses to obey him and his actions have consequences.
  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions: not a story for the feint-hearted. The words on the front cover: innocence and love, courage and cowardice sum this book up perfectly. Morpurgo moves the lives of characters through a calm, tranquil beginning, to the pain, anger and grief of war, with the theme of love threaded all the way through. He engages the reader from start to finish and this book is a great read for anyone.
  

• Mr Matt Birchall

  Class Teacher - SMART ZONE (Year 3/4)

  The Borribles – Michael deLarrabeiti
  
  What is a Borrible? Borribles are runaways who dwell in the shadows of London. Apart from their pointed ears, they look just like ordinary children. They live by their wits and a few Borrible laws, the chief one being 'Don't Get Caught!' The Borribles are outcasts but they wouldn't have it any other way...
  
  I found the Borrible trilogy a great way to immerse myself in the underworld of London. A gritty, edgy series of books I would recommend as a good read for Year 5/6 and older. These books had many parallels for me growing up and helped me to make sense of the world around me. After reading the Borrible trilogy I was inspired to tackle more: The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Through this process I developed my reading stamina and learnt how enjoyable it is to be plunged into different worlds and understand new words and vocabulary I had never encountered before. Dictionary in hand, I spent a number of years ploughing my way through these massive volumes. I discovered that reading really does truly open and expand your mind to the wonderful world around us.
  

• Miss Claire O'Brien

  Class teacher - WONDER ZONE (Year 1 and 2)Mon-Wed. Study Zone Fri.

  The Prisoner of Azkaban – JK Rowling.
  
  I discovered Harry Potter in my late teens and soon became engrossed in the magic of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the story of how a baby became the ‘boy who lived’ from the evil Voldemort. The Prisoner of Azkaban is the one story where Harry returns to Hogwarts, with his two best friends Ron and Hermione, and discovers that the notorious Sirius Black, who had been imprisoned in Azkaban for being a supporter of ‘You know Who’, has escaped and is coming to get him. However, this story is one of love and that good can overcome bad. Harry learns that Sirius is actually his Godfather and all is not as it seems. Knowing that one day he will be able to live with him gives him hope of having a proper family once again, but in turn he becomes more aware of the dark wizarding world happening around him.
  
  Every time I have read this book, I have been engrossed in it and have especially enjoyed sharing it with with my own children. When reading, it allows me to be catapulted into a magical world so far away from everyday life that it is incredibly hard to put it down.

• Miss Suzanne Bray

  Class teacher - Wonder Zone (Year 1 and 2)- Thursdays and Fridays

  Rosie's Walk - Pat Hutchins
  
  Rosie’s walk is a classic children’s picture book. It is one that I loved as a child and now my young son enjoys this humourous tale and together we chuckle away whilst sharing it.
  
  This picture book, follows Rosie’s journey around the farmyard, with her being pursued by a sneaky, but clumsy fox. One disaster after another befalls the hungry fox, while Rosie goes on her way, supposedly unaware of the danger behind her. The near-wordless story provides plenty of opportunities to use the pictures to add in more detail, speech and sound effects. The buzzing bees chasing the poor fox is comical, yet fitting end!
  

• Miss Emma Sumpter

  Class Teacher - BUSY ZONE (EYFS) Mon-Weds

  We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen
  
  When considering my favourite book as a child, I was a little overwhelmed with choice. I fondly remember sharing books and stories and so found picking just one a difficult task!
  
  However, I have chosen ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ to share with you as my favourite book. It brings back wonderful memories of adventures outdoors and family trips to the woods. The idea that from the comfort of the sofa you can be transported into a magical adventure, on the hunt for a bear, captured my imagination - exploring different obstacles and overcoming them. The surprise of finding the bear, and the reality of what that means, scares the reader into a retreat and we eagerly race back to the house with the characters.
  
  This book has become even more special to me recently as it has become my daughters favourite bedtime story, so I get the chance to explore this magical adventure all over again!

• Mrs Rosanna Nisbet

  Class Teacher - Busy Zone (Pre-School and Reception) .Thursday and Friday

  Charlotte's Web - EB White
  
  One of my most favourite pastimes as a child was to read and so I have many favourites, but the story of Charlotte's Web by E.B.White is definitely at the top of my list!
  
  It is about a little girl called Fern who befriends a piglet, saving him from an inevitable end. She goes on to visit him daily at her uncles farm where we are introduced, through Wilbur the pig, to the farm animals that live there with him. One of these friends is Charlotte, a spider who becomes his unlikely confidant and saviour. The friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte is truly endearing to read, and Fern's quiet companionship for Wilbur earns her the privilege of witnessing a remarkable feat to save Wilbur once again.
  
  I have recently re-read this to my children, having kept my own childhood copy of the book, and it was still as wonderful to read, just as I had remembered it to be!

• Mrs Samantha Graham

  Teaching Assistant- Study Zone

  The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
  
  One of my favourite childhood books was ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. It’s the story of four siblings who were sent to the country to live during the war. The youngest child, Lucy, discovers an old wardrobe and when she steps inside, she is transported to the magical world of Narnia. Although the siblings disbelieve her at first, they eventually follow her into the land of Narnia where they meet the characters like Mr Tumnus, the evil White Witch and the ruler of Narnia, Aslan the Lion.
  As a child I loved the idea of finding a magical world by stepping into a wardrobe. I also enjoyed reading about children my own age going on an adventure and helping good overcome evil.
  

• Mrs Jo Thorniley

  Teaching Assistant

  Peace at Last by Jill Murphy
  
  Will Mr Bear ever get to sleep? It is very late, Mr Bear is so tired, his wife is fast asleep and snoring so poor Mr Bear can't get to sleep.
  
  I can think of lots of stories I loved as a child but this one must be my favourite. I still adore it as an adult and have shared it many times with my own children. I love the descriptions and the sounds and as a child found it easy to join in with, even when I couldn't perhaps read the flow of the text the key phrases made it easy to pick up. My favourite part and picture are the garden scene with the noises at night! 'Snuffle, snuffle went the hedgehog!'
  
  Mr Bear is a relatable character for me in my adulthood, although I feel Mrs Bear may be better cast as the one who couldn't sleep! I often used to think of the exhausted Mr Bear during the long sleepless nights with a new born and I still use his catch phrase 'I can't stand this' in various situations.
  
  I would recommend this beautiful story to all and often purchase it as a gift for others.
  

• Mrs Lucy Probert

  Pre-School Assistant

• Mrs Tracy Kapp

  School Secretary

  secretary@sithney.cornwall.sch.uk

  The Encyclopedia of the Horse
  
  As a child I was absolutely obsessed with horses and I couldn’t wait until the day that I could have my own horse. I used to go to the local riding stables once a fortnight for a riding lesson. At Christmas was I was 9 years old, My Dad bought me The Encyclopaedia of The Horse. It’s a book all about the horses, telling you about the development of the horse, the different breeds of horses all over the world, equestrian sports and recreation, horse care and management (which I was particularly interested in as that would come in handy when I eventually owned my own horse. I read this book over and over again and when I was 18 I finally owned my own horse and knew exactly how to care and look after him.

• Mrs Maria Johnstone

  HLTA Teaching Assistant

  Alice in wonderland - Lewis Carroll
  
  To escape into a different world with all its vivid colours and extraordinary characters was fascinating to me as a child. The Cheshire cat's broad smile suddenly materializing out of thin air and the mouse scurrying around on the beautifully laid table were images that stood out for me. Reading this fantastic book fed my imagination and it felt as though anything was possible.
  

• Mrs Karen Edwards

  Teaching Assistant

  Charlotte’s Web - EB White
  
  Charlotte’s Web was written in 1952 and it is one of my childhood favourites. The story is about a little girl called Fern and a pig called Wilbur. Fern saved the little pig from being slaughtered and took Wilbur home to live with her, her uncle and her Aunt. When he became too big for the house, Wilbur was moved to Fern’s Uncle’s barn and Fern did not see Wilbur that often. During his time in the barn, Wilbur became friends with a grey spider called Charlotte. Unfortunately Fern’s Uncle and Aunt were planning to kill Wilbur and have some tasty pork for their dinner, but Charlotte came up with a plan to save him.
  
  This book is one of the most heart-warming stories I have ever read because it teaches all ages of children what generosity, kindness and friendship really is. It’s also very imaginative and humorous.
  

• Miss Kim Whaley

  Teaching Assistant

  The BFG - Roald Dahl
  
  Sophie is an orphan who is abducted by the BFG after she spies him late at night delivering happy dreams called Phizzwizards to sleeping children, and catching bad dreams called Trogglehumpers which he then keeps in jars at his house. When he realises that she has seen him, he takes her to his home in Giant Country because he is fearful of being discovered by the town folk. He turns out to be a Big Friendly Giant who doesn’t eat people like the other inhabitants of Giant Country, aka Cannybullies. The BFG has his own comical language, Gobblefunk, that raises a smile every time you read his dialogue. Sophie and the BFG form an unlikely friendship despite their differences and embark on some crazy adventures. She is disgusted by his love of snozzcumber (a gruesome slimy vegetable) only found in Giant Land. He drinks Frobscottle which is a carbonated drink where the bubbles float downwards instead of upwards which often result in enormous whizzpoppers, I’m sure you can work it out! The pair embark on a mission to get rid of the other giants and even visit Her 'Majester' Queen Elizabeth II to try to convince her to help them.
  
  This is a hilariously funny story and a book you can revisit again and again and not get bored of. It is definitely one of my favourites from childhood.
  

• Mr Guy Wakeham

  Teaching Assistant

  Fantastic Mr Fox - Roald Dahl
  
  I read many of Roald Dahl’s books as a child and particularly loved the stories because of my love of animals. Fantastic Mr Fox’s characters mostly consist of animals so I was drawn to this book very quickly, especially since the main character is a fox which happens to be my favourite animal. I read this book so many times and even listened to it on a cassette tape I had. I did this with a lot of books, even if I had already read them!
  
  One of my favourite things about Fantastic Mr Fox is the elaborate plan that the titular character creates to get the better of the three farmers. I always enjoyed reading about how this smart character was able to easily outwit them, even when it seems they have outwitted him. The character is incredibly clever, and reading about a character who uses his mind to help others was quite inspiring to me as a child. I think this is the sort of book that children can take a lot from and learn that when things seem bad, they can always find a way to make things better.
  
  As mentioned earlier Fantastic Mr Fox has an ensemble of animal characters and I always liked how these characters acted as you would think the animals would. For example, the foxes are cunning and smart; the rabbits are timid and easily scared; the rat is mean and unfriendly; and so on. This makes the animal characters feel more real and alive. I also felt like the animal characters were a much higher class of character when compared to the three human farmers. They seemed to maintain more dignity which contrasted well with the farmers and how we as the readers often see animals as just wild beasts.
  
  Overall, this story allows you to feel empathy for the characters which makes it even more satisfying when they succeed. It is a very clever and fun book, one that I found myself going back to again and again when I was younger. This is why it holds a special place as my favourite childhood book.
  

• Mrs Natasha Butcher

  Teaching Assistant

  The Jolly Postman and Other People's Letters - Allan Ahlberg
  
  The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters was published in 1986 and was my favourite book as a child. The story is about a Postman going about his route on his bicycle to deliver letters to lots of different fairytale characters such as Goldilocks or the Big Bad Wolf!
  
  I remember my mum reading this book to me and I was always so excited when I got to open the letters and see what was inside. I loved trying to guess where the Jolly Postman would be heading next on his round.
  I now get to revisit the story, but this time I'm the mum who reads the story to her children, and now I get to enjoy watching them open the post, to discover if it's a letter, a postcard, a puzzle or more!
  
  The magic of this story is still there after many years, and on Christmas Eve every year we all snuggle down with a hot chocolate (with marshmallows and cream!) and read The Jolly Christmas Postman.

Curriculum co-ordinators

English and MFL - Claire O'Brien  

Maths, Science and PSHE – Helen Neil

PE, DT and Computing– Matt Birchall

Early Years, History and Geography - Emma Sumpter

RE and PSHE - Rosie Nisbet

Art, Music and DT- Suzanne Bray

SENDCO – Helen Neil