Parents and teachers are praising a literacy initiative which has helped secondary school pupils struggling with reading, saying some have made “dramatic improvements” this year.
‘Thinking Reading’ was introduced at the States run High Schools in September 2024 to help Year 7 pupils who had been identified in most need of literacy support.
Education, Sport, and Culture said the programme is part of Education’s commitment to closing the literacy gap which saw some students start secondary school with a reading age of just seven or eight.
30 pupils have taken part during this academic year, with “many” now at a reading age of 12.
They’ve graduated from the programme after showing huge improvements in just a few months said ESC.
Language and Literacy Specialist Intervention Team Leader, Kelly Child said the ‘Thinking Reading’ programme follows a rigorous, research-based and highly personalised approach, which is proven to work for many children.
“Our Literary Intervention team is offering something unique on this island – this kind of one-to-one, tailored support is not available in this way in most UK schools.
“We are incredibly proud to see such fantastic results from the first year of formally delivering the ‘Thinking Reading’ programme in secondary schools, which continues the strong work the team do across primary schools to ensure we consistently provide the best support possible.”
Chloe Girard is mum to Abbie, who has been on the programme over this school year.
“Abbie has dyslexia and has really thrived from being part of the programme, and this has given her confidence to participate more fully in lessons,” she said.
“It means a lot to a young girl who has very little confidence in her ability.”
The ‘Thinking Reading’ programme is part of a wider literacy strategy across primary and secondary education in the island.
In primary schools, the Literary Intervention team supports more than 300 children each year to improve their literacy and comprehension. That includes an additional 100 pupils each year following an increase to funding and hours of support since September 2023 – when the money was reallocated from the Dyslexia Day Centre.
The Literacy Intervention team working in States run schools now includes 17 teachers, including in Alderney. Eight of the teachers hold a Level 5 qualification from the British Dyslexia Association meaning they can provide a multi-sensory intervention to support learners with dyslexia.
ESC has also recruited a wider group of educators trained locally to deliver targeted interventions within schools.
Nick Hynes, Director of Education, said it is all looking very positive a year into the scheme.
“Our schools have made significant progress in supporting improved literacy in the last few years. Primary literacy leaders have received sustained training in evidence- informed practices, leading to the adoption of high-quality phonics programmes. Secondary schools are now using advanced reading assessments and targeted interventions such as ‘Thinking Reading’, and we are fostering a culture which acknowledges a shared responsibility for ensuring every student learns to read.
“Scientific evidence shows that while some children face greater neurodevelopmental challenges, almost all can learn to read with systematic, high- quality support. The results are clearly showing that by shifting our focus from reactive to preventative approaches – equipping schools with effective tools for early teaching and intervention – we are reducing future reading problems and ensuring more children can succeed from the start.”