World Book Day celebrations at Ripley Court School were boosted by a book voucher donation from Taylor Wimpey South Thames.

The school received a £200 voucher as part of the housebuilder’s support of the national event, which took place on March 7.

Pupils and staff at the school celebrated the 26th edition of World Book Day by dressing up as their favourite book characters.

World Book Day promotes reading for pleasure, whilst aiming to provide every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.

Sophie Dudley, head of English at Ripley Court School, said: “We always look forward to celebrating World Book Day at Ripley Court School; it’s a fantastic initiative that encourages children to pick up a book and get reading.

“The children had a wonderful time dressing up and Taylor Wimpey’s kind donation has helped ensure they have many new books to enjoy.”

The day certainly fired the youngsters’ imaginations as they showed off their costumes around the school. From Anne of Green Gables to Pokemon, from cowboys to the military and from My Little Pony to an impeccably bow-tied character there was a wealth of creativity and fun on show.

Mary O'Brien, sales and marketing director at Taylor Wimpey South Thames, said: “World Book Day is a wonderful annual celebration that we are always proud to support. The pupils at Ripley Court School looked fantastic in their costumes and we hope our donation helps provide brand new books for current and future generations to use.”

Ripley Court, a leading co-educational preparatory school for pupils aged 3 to 11 set in 19 acres of countryside in the village of Ripley, prides itself on its links with the community.

Its association with Taylor Wimpey on World Book Day has paid dividends and the pupils’ enthusiasm for the day underlined one of the school’s most important aims “to foster a passion for learning and inspire a spirit of enquiry, challenge and exploration”.

For its part, Taylor Wimpey says it is “committed to delivering new homes within thriving communities, in a safe and environmentally responsible manner”.