TEACHERS are hoping a sack full of Shakespeare will inspire primary school pupils in Swindon.

The now intern-ationally renowned Storysack was the brainchild of former Westlea Primary School head Neil Griffiths.

Now in its eighth year, the idea was to raise literacy stand-ards among primary school children, feed their imagination and get them inter-ested in reading.

Storysacks are large cloth bags.

They contain a good quality book with supporting materials to stimulate reading activities.

Soft toys of the main characters and props and scenery relating to the story help to bring the book to life.

The idea aims to give parents or schoolteachers the confidence to enjoy reading with their children.

Greendown School will launch the first dedi-cated Shakespeare Storysack on May 30 when it will unveil props it has created for Macbeth.

It will use it to give pupils at feeder schools such as Oliver Tomkins Junior School in Toothill a taste of the famous playwright.

Tim Noble, assistant headteacher at Greendown School, said: "The whole Storysack concept is an excellent idea and Shakespeare is an important part of our teaching.

"Learning plays such as Macbeth in this way will hopefully feed the pupils' imagination and the supporting material is there to stimulate."

Storysack has won the prestigious Alcuin educational award.

It is now practised worldwide and has been adopted by every local education authority in the area.

Mr Griffiths added: "I have been overwhelmed that such a simple concept would prove so popular throughout the world."