PUPILS at a North Yorkshire school are piloting a unique reading initiative.

The buddy scheme, supported by the charity Reading Force, encourages service and civilian pupils at Risedale Sports and Community College, in Catterick Garrison, to read together.

More than 45 per cent of students at the school have parents involved in the forces.

Sarah Matthewman, lead practitioner for English, said: “Reading is central to everything that we do in school.

“Risedale is all about inclusivity so our buddy scheme will see pupils join up with a partner to read the same book title and complete a scrap book and quiz on what they have read before getting another free book.”

Every army mess at the Garrison donated £50 for books, which was matched by the school.

The scheme comes on top of an accelerated reading programme that encourages pupils to develop their individual reading ability.

Twelve-year-old Tommy Roberts, whose father is in the army, said: “In five months my reading age has gone up three years to age 16.

“It has been good for my vocabulary and reading and I feel more confident like I have really achieved something.”