AN OXFORDSHIRE school has won first prize at a national reading quiz, and were joined in the final by some famous faces.

Year 8 students at St Helen and St Katharine in Abingdon won the first ever National Reading Champions Quiz, coming out on top from 518 schools.

Every Thursday until the final – which the school won by 15 points – pupils met with library staff to discuss books and prepare for the quiz.

Oxford Mail: St Helen and St Katharine pupils have won a national reading quiz. Picture provided by the schoolSt Helen and St Katharine pupils have won a national reading quiz. Picture provided by the school

St Helen’s librarian Donna Pocock-Bell said: “I know the students regularly frequent our wonderful library, where we are lucky enough to hold over 22,000 printed volumes, not to mention thousands of e-books and other digital resources.

“Their passion for books is also nurtured beyond our shelves.

“In classrooms and science labs, at home and on the school bus, books are swapped and recommendations shared.

“I am thrilled the team has received national recognition for their knowledge and quizzing abilities.

“Mostly I am glad that a love of reading enabled the students to feel part of a team with common interests, and also a wider community of readers across the country.”

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Mrs Pocock-Bell was involved in organising the Oxfordshire and Berkshire regional heats of the competition, with schools entering two teams of four students, aged between 10 and 14-years-old.

The Year 8 team at St Helen’s secured a place in the national final, organised by the National Literacy Trust, with a winning score nine points clear of their nearest competitors.

The final saw St Helen’s face up against 17 schools across the country, and got 77 out of 110 questions correct.

Pupils were joined by best-selling children’s authors including Anthony Horowitz, David Baddiel and Charlie Higson.

Oxford Mail: Anthony Horowitz during the quizAnthony Horowitz during the quiz

Oxford Mail: David Baddiel at the quizDavid Baddiel at the quiz

How to Train Your Dragon author Cressida Cowell said: “Reading is something special to me, it’s the best way I know for giving you magical powers or going back to Viking times.

“I suppose it gives you magical eyes looking into somebody else’s heart, feeling what it might be like to be somebody else and it’s a brilliant way of sparking your own creativity.

“So, read as much as you possibly can would be my advice – reading gives you magical powers.”

Fiona Evans, director of schools programmes at the National Literacy Trust, added: “An amazing amount of fun has been had across the country during our National Reading Champions Quiz.

“More than 500 teams of incredible young people from hundreds of schools across the UK have wowed with their knowledge of books and brought bags of energy, team spirit, skill and strategy to every heat.

“We want to give a huge shout out to the army of librarians and teachers whose work to inspire these young readers has shone through in the competition.”

Questions forced students to know their stuff on characters, authors and titles of a range of books.

The school won a trophy and book tokens worth £100.