TEN scholarly schoolchildren have won themselves a spending spree, after completing their reading passports in record time.

Five of the speedy youngsters were paid a congratulatory classroom visit last week by News Shopper editor Andrew Parkes and chief reporter Tamzin Thornton. Each of the 10 children have been rewarded with a W H Smith book voucher.

Sponsored by your News Shopper and the Woolwich, the passports have been produced as part of the National Year for Reading, and are being completed by children across Greenwich.

Organised alongside the Education Business Partnership, the exciting venture encourages children to read and get to know their favourite newspaper by completing a series of tasks in their passports.

The 10 winners are: Kyle Gilliam, Paul Field, James Barton, Tom Sippy and Andrew Smith, from Christchurch CE School in Shooters Hill, Luke Haighton and Hannah Pennycock of Eltham's Gordon Primary School, Clare Ryan and Lisa McNeil Duncan, from Haimo Primary School, Eltham, and Ania Kowalski, who attends Invicta Primary School in Blackheath.

Congratulations also to Gordon Primary School pupils Nicky Smith and George Poss and Haimo Primary School's Laura Berwick, Ivy Quan, Hazel Dodson and Carly Petto, who have all successfully completed their passports.

Countless children are now busily making their own newspaper, in the hope of winning a tour of the News Shopper offices and a camcorder for their school.

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