A new report from The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed Wales is the poorest performing UK nation for reading, maths and science. Brecon is one of the most deprived areas within Powys and this deprivation is also reflected in pupils' attainment. Priory Church in Wales (Aided) School consists of 162 pupils and a high proportion (37%) of these pupils are receiving free school meals.

Green Man Trust supported a project aiming to re-ignite the love of reading for school children. Our grant allowed the school to purchase of a book vending machine where pupils find books instead of sugary snacks.

‘The children were really struggling to get back into reading when they returned to school as they were so used to working on digital devices, and we wanted a way to get them excited about books and reading again. The vending machine is an innovative way of building that excitement. (...) So far it has worked a treat. Each pupil gets a token for their birthday or as a reward for good behaviour and work and comes along to the vending machine to choose a book. The excitement and anticipation are palpable as they make their decisions, and it has turned our children back into the bookworms they previously were, which is amazing to see. We have a very high level of children who receive free school meals at the moment and children within a school with additional learning needs, so to actually be able to give the children something on their birthday with all that community and family spirit together really means a lot. It's about us investing everything back in our little people because they are our future. We are so grateful to the Green Man Trust for awarding us the grant to buy the machine, as it would have taken us years to raise the funds to afford something like this and the children love it so much.’ - Claire Pugh, Acting Headteacher