Reading scheme paid for by pupils praised by inspectors

A reading scheme paid for by pupils’ fundraising efforts has been praised by inspectors as the best they had ever seen.

Funding for St Sampson’s High School’s Accelerated Reader Scheme comes from the West Coast Challenge, which is an annual charity walk from Pleinmont to Pembroke that all pupils take part in. Last year, more than £6,000 was raised to extend the Accelerated Reader Programme and Show My Homework scheme. 

This year’s challenge, sponsored by Rossborough for the fourth consecutive year, will raise money for new books and to fund the school’s online homework system. Le Murier pupils will be walking on 7^th July followed by St Sampson’s students on 19^th July.

Assistant headteacher Liz Dale thanked Rossborough for its continued support, adding the reader programme was making a positive difference when it came to exam results.

‘This is the fourth year that we have subscribed to the Accelerated Reader scheme. The current Year 10 students were the first year group to use it from Year 7. They took GCSE English early in January of Year 10, and 61 students got a grade C or better, said Ms Dale.

‘That is in no small part thanks to Accelerated Reader as research shows that well-read children do better in exams. Our most recent inspection praised all of the reading intervention done throughout Key Stage 3, citing it as the best they had seen.’

Ian Stewart, managing director at Rossborough Guernsey, said: ‘It’s fantastic to hear how the West Coast Challenge is having a positive effect on young people’s future. Staff and students are to be congratulated for their fundraising efforts and hard work, and Rossborough is again delighted to support the walk.’

He added: ‘The walk is also about young people taking part in healthy activity, and this year Rossborough is providing all the participants with rucksacks and pedometers. The school will be using these for future initiatives aimed at promoting the benefits of an active lifestyle.’