£280,000 to make every child a reader

PUPILS at five primary schools will get intensive support in reading thanks to a £280,000 Government boost.

Five-year-olds at Freehold, Horton Mill, St Hilda’s, Stanley Road and Rushcroft schools will initially receive daily, one-to-one sessions under the Every Child a Reader programme.

In addition, Oldham has also been chosen to develop a centre of excellence for literacy.

The Government is investing £169 million in three literacy and numeracy schemes over the next three years which will involve more than 100,000 children by 2011. They aim to raise standards for the fifth of 11-year-olds who fail to reach the expected level for their age in literacy and numeracy.

Oldham is among 25 local authorities to take part in the scheme this month and will receive £280,000 over three years.

Councillor Kay Knox, Cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: “Oldham is committed to ensuring all children and young people have the opportunity to become successful readers.

“We are very excited to be taking part in the Every Child a Reader programme, especially as 2008 is the National Year of Reading.

“This is a particularly interesting and important development of the work currently being undertaken in Oldham in the area of early reading.

“The programme will be introduced initially in five schools. Four to six pupils in Year 1 at each school will receive a daily one-to-one session of half-an-hour from a specially-trained teacher for between 12 and 20 weeks.

“At the end of the programme, we are confident that pupils will have reached the appropriate standard in reading for their age. The teachers delivering the programme will receive in-depth training. In addition, Oldham has been chosen to develop a Reading Recovery Centre which will be open from September, 2009.

“This will be a centre of excellence for literacy. Support and training in literacy for teachers across all schools in Oldham will be delivered from this centre in the future.”