Community Foundation funds inclusive reading project
Stocksfield Avenue Primary School in Newcastle launched their reading project this year. The project saw authors drop into school to encourage students to read for pleasure. The project was funded through a partnership of Community Foundation and Schools North East.
Developing cultural, sporting or career provision for disadvantaged children
The partnership behind the funding began in 2021. Schools North East teamed up with the Community Foundation to make over £100,000 of funding available for schools in Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Northumberland, North and South Tyneside.
Funding was provided for projects that focussed on providing a broader enriched curriculum to support students in-school learning, raise levels of pride and appreciation of the region, and develop cultural capital within school settings.
Stocksfield Avenue Reading Rocks Project
The project in Stocksfield Avenue Primary School brought authors into school multiple times across the year to raise the profile of reading for pleasure across the school. Stocksfield named their project ‘Reading Rocks’.
The project was further supported by purchasing high quality texts for Stocksfield’s library, book corners and reading spines. A recent report found that the North East had the highest percentage of primaries without a designated library space in England, which emphasises how important projects such as Readings Rocks are.
The books were carefully curated to be current, diverse and support Stocksfields PSHE curriculum. Children produced a range of writing in each of the workshops and the pupil voice for reading across the school demonstrates the hugely positive impact these author’s workshops have had.
The school noted that working with authors also positively impacts on the children’s attitudes for writing. Reading Rocks saw five author visits across the last academic year which included whole school assemblies and class workshops. It also allowed for their Year 2 children to experience an incredible trip to the National Centre for Children’s Books, Seven Stories. During the trip to Seven Stories in July students experienced The Case of the Missing Nursery Rhymes! This was an interactive experience for the children that allowed Stocksfield to build a relationship with Seven Stories and they are hopeful that they can visit again next year.
Stocksfield Primary commented:
“Reading is a key strand of our school development plan and our intent is that every child will be able to read before they leave our care. This project aimed to provide a broader enriched curriculum for all and build a culture of reading for pleasure. Our children come from disadvantaged backgrounds and multicultural backgrounds (26 languages spoken across school).
Our provision of books prior to the project did not reflect our families’ cultural heritage and backgrounds. The project allowed us to provide books that children can see themselves mirrored within and allowed us to build a culture of inclusivity and belonging. For our author visits, the authors were prepared before they delivered workshops and were able to actively include reluctant readers and EAL children.”
Reading is a key strand of the school’s development plan, and Stocksfield say they are conscious that it is the key that unlocks the full curriculum for their learners. These activities and resources have allowed the school to embed a positive reading culture which reinforces the delivery of English and in turn the rest of the curriculum. Staff have become more confident and enthused about using the resources they’ve purchased across the curriculum. For example, PSHE lessons are now heavily delivered through the use of picture books which are accessible for their disadvantaged, disengaged and EAL learners – a great outcome of the Reading Rocks project!
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East said:
“Well done to Stocksfield for their amazing Reading Rocks project that helps their disadvantaged students engage with reading. After last week’s reports that the North East has the largest number of primary schools with no library area in England, we are very proud of how they have utilised this funding to provide resources, experiences and trips that will have a big impact on their students. Once again, we thank the Community Foundation for this partnership and the funding provided.”
Read last week’s article about the lack of libraries in North East schools by clicking here: https://schoolsnortheastblog.wordpress.com/2022/11/18/north-east-primary-schools-without-dedicated-library-space/
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