World Book Day Thursday 2nd March 2023

Everyday is World Book Day at HDHS. We encourage, facilitate and support reading for pleasure and reading for purpose daily.

Additional reading activities also take place in school every year in acknowledgement of World Book Day.

To celebrate World Book Day this year, volunteer librarians have helped revitalise our school library with hundreds of new books aimed at all types of readers. Harwich and Dovercourt High School is a reading school, so we see a well-stocked and welcoming library as vital to fostering a love of reading in our students. Library users can now find books on subjects as diverse as Minecraft to Mathematics, and explore fantastical stories set in locations from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld to London’s Docklands.

Pictured are volunteer librarians Charlotte and Alex.

Author Visits at HDHS

Globe-Trotting Former Pupil Returns to Harwich

Students at Harwich and Dovercourt High School were treated to a writing master-class by former Harwich pupil Jen Offord.

Jen, a student at the school in the 90s, has recently published her debut novel “The Year of the Robin”, a funny, sharp and thought-provoking account of life as a football fan during the pandemic.

Since leaving Harwich, Jen has gone on to present a hugely successful “Standard Issue” podcast interviewing stars like Clare Balding and Sally Wainwright; she has cycled across the USA on a bike named Beyonce and attempted every olympic discipline, as well as becoming a mother and working as a climate advisor in the civil service.

Simon Garnham, Senior Assistant Headteacher, said, “It’s brilliant for students from the school to see how their hard work in English can lead to amazing opportunities in later life. Jen was an A-Grade student whilst she was at school and has used the skills she learned here in the classroom to go on and achieve incredible things. Her book is great and pupils really benefited from being able to interview a professional writer. Jen was the perfect visitor for us as a Reading School. Her passion for books is infectious.”

Football Writer Matt Oldfield Visits HDHS

Popular author Matt Oldfield( writer of the ’Ultimate Football Heroes’ book series) visited HDHS on Wednesday 29th January 2020 and delivered an inspiring assembly to Year 7 and Year 8 sending a clear message about the importance of reading for pleasure and purpose.

Matt also passed on some valuable tips to inspire some future writers. Students were excited to be given the opportunity to meet Matt Oldfield in person and many students purchased his books.

We are grateful to Matt for visiting us and creating a buzz about books and reading.

What the students said:

Virtual Author Visits

Matt Oldfield Virtual Visit

Dan Freedman Virtual Visit

Dan Freedman is the author of the Jamie Johnson series. Here is a short message (2 minutes) from Dan about the power of reading.