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Oxfordshire set to get reading
25 Sep 2012
The Oxfordshire Reading Campaign has launched today to improve the standards of reading amongst primary age children in the local area. Oxfordshire County Council has commissioned The National Literacy Trust to work with 81 local primary schools and improve standards of reading of Year 2 pupils (7 year olds).
Whilst Oxfordshire’s Key Stage Two results for 2012 have outstripped the national rise in achievement by three percent, the county’s reading standards amongst primary age children are currently lower than expected, with 2011 Key Stage 1 results causing particular concern. The National Literacy Trust will work to improve reading levels through a comprehensive package of professional development support and exciting new resources for early reading. The campaign will improve pupils’ reading confidence and enjoyment and the aim is to increase attainment levels by 12 percent over two years.
The Oxfordshire Reading Campaign will also feature a volunteering programme which will augment existing volunteering work in local schools. This will provide pupils with one to one volunteer support, measuring increases in confidence and engagement in reading.
Improving children’s literacy is extremely important as research has highlighted that those with good literacy skills are more likely to have higher self-esteem, better health, better jobs and higher wages than those with poor literacy skills. By fostering a culture of reading and a love of books children will have a better chance of future success.
The scheme has support from Edge Hill University who will be providing professional development support for schools and from Oxford University Press who will be providing a discount on the chosen intervention programme, Project X CODE.
Abigail Moss of the National Literacy Trust said:
We are looking forward to working with school communities to not only raise standards in reading for children in Oxfordshire, but to work with children to develop a love of reading.
We want the whole community to get involved with improving literacy in the county. Parental engagement is crucial to the success of this campaign and we would encourage local parents to support the campaign by visiting www.oxfordshirereading.co.uk where they can find practical tips to enhance their child’s reading experience.
Oxfordshire Councillor Melinda Tilley added:
It’s really important that we work to improve literacy in the county to give our children the best possible start in life and a successful future.
We hope local schools and parents will rally behind the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign so we can make significant improvements both to children’s enjoyment of reading and to their exam results.
For the latest campaign news or to find out how to volunteer with the programme visit www.oxfordshirereading.co.uk.
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Notes to editors
About the National Literacy Trust
1 person in 6 in the UK has poor literacy skills which will impact on every area of their life. We are the only national charity dedicated to raising literacy levels in the UK. Our research and analysis makes us the leading authority on literacy and drives our interventions. We establish literacy projects in the poorest communities; campaign to make literacy a priority for politicians and parents; and support schools. Words for Life (www.wordsforlife.org.uk) is the parent-facing campaign from The National Literacy Trust that helps parents support their children’s communication and literacy development. Find out more, make a donation or sign up for free email newsletters at www.literacytrust.org.uk
Find us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/nationalliteracytrust
Follow us on Twitter - @literacy_trust
National Literacy Trust is a registered charity no. 1116260 and a company limited by guarantee no. 5836486 registered in England and Wales and a registered charity in Scotland no. SCO42944.
Registered address: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL. Tel: 020 7587 1842.
About Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council provides around 80 per cent of the local government services to the 630,000 people of Oxfordshire including schools and education, highways and transport, trading standards, fire and rescue, social care for children and adults and libraries. It has an annual budget of around £950m a year and employs around 19,000 people including those in schools.
About Edge Hill University
Based on an award-winning 160-acre campus near Liverpool, Edge Hill University has more than 25,000 students and 125 years of history as an innovative, successful and distinctive higher education provider. It is the largest provider of teacher training for secondary education in the UK. Last year its Faculty of Education was judged an unparalleled 'outstanding' by Ofsted in all possible 33 graded areas and in every phase of its teacher training provision - Early Years, Primary and Secondary It now works with Government and other organisations to mastermind programmes and provide training for specialist teachers to boost the performance of the lowest child achievers in reading and mathematics. It was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education University of the Year award in 2007,2010 and 2011. It was in the top four universities in England for the largest percentage increase in student applications in 2012. It came in the top three universities in England for students' Personal Development and Assessment & Feedback (NSS 2011, from 93 English public full universities). It was the highest ranked university in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the Public Sector 2010. The University’s Reading Support initiative has been selected by the Department for Education as a new nationwide programme to help the lowest attaining readers from September 2012.
About Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. We further the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford Primary is a market leading primary educational publisher and our mission is to help schools improve the lives of all children.
Project X CODE is a highly motivational, character-led reading intervention programme for struggling readers, built and designed by experts and proven to deliver success in systematic synthetic phonics, comprehension and engagement.
