CHILDREN at a Farnworth school are to be given Kindles to encourage reading.

The initiative to handout the electronic reading device to pupils is the idea of the new headteacher at Harper Green School, Bob Flood, who took up his position this week.

The 52-year-old fatherof- two said: “The investment in technology in this school is as good as any new school being built.

“Young people can use iPads when in school and they will be given Kindles to take home, because on a Kindle you can do nothing but read. It is to engage more young people in reading.”

About £3,000 is being spent on buying 30 Kindles. They will be placed in the library and children will borrow them as they would a book, with others being handed to pupils to help them to raise their literacy skills.

In the summer term, about 35 iPads at a cost of £400 each were bought for young people to use while in school.

Teachers, who say the move will revolutionise learning, are now keeping some of the department budget aside to buy “apps”

to help with their lessons.

The move has been praised by Bolton Literacy Trust.

Manager Amanda Wait said: “We are behind anything which encourages reading, particularly for boys who are not great readers because they think picking up a book is often a girlie thing to do, and using IT will be a good way to engage them.”

Earlier this year, another Bolton school, Essa Academy, scooped a national award for providing pupils with iPods to promote “anytime, anywhere learning”.

The devices have specially designed apps to help pupils pass exams, which include downloadable revision guides.

The £250,000 initiative has been considered such a success that officials from Eton visited Essa to see what it could learn from the Great Lever school.

Mr Flood is a history and economics trained teacher who has moved from a school in Rishton, Lancashire, where he was based for 10 years as deputy and later headteacher.

After driving up standards there, Mr Flood helped raise achievement in a Liverpool school, as a school improvement partner.

● Residents can meet Mr Flood during a series of tours of the school between Monday, September 19 and Friday, October 7. For more information ring 01204 572941.