Sheffield primary school shows improvement in early reading despite pandemic

Tinsley Meadows Primary School saw a 17 percent increase in its phonics screening check scores after forging a partnership with St Wilfrid's English Hub.

Based in Sheffield St Wilfrid’s English Hub gives support and guidance to schools across the nation with early reading and phonics.

The school's headteacher Deborah Sanderson said: "The support from the English hub has been fundamental to our progress in phonics."

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She said the school was assisted by one of the partners from the hub named Lizzie.

She added: "The patient and encouraging support of Lizzie has been really helpful.

"She approached us as partners which gave us faith we could succeed and her knowledge of relevant strategies was second to none. We would keep her another year if we could!”

St Wilfrid’s English Hub provided each of the partner schools with up to £6000 of funding for resources and training to support the effective teaching of systematic synthetic phonics using a programme of proven effectiveness.

The schools also benefit from the support of a fully trained literacy specialist.

The focus is on ensuring that the lowest 20% of readers make strong progress so that they become confident, fluent readers.

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The hub lead, Lucy McKerrow said: “Teaching children to read is the greatest life skill we can give to children.

"The commitment shown by our partner schools in getting every child through the reading gate has been wonderful.

"At the English Hub we have been able to support them every step of the way on this journey.”

Strategic lead Andrew Truby said: “Too many children are being failed from an early age so we strongly advocate starting to teach children to read through an accredited systematic synthetic phonics programme as soon as the

children start in Reception and for schools to see reading as the core purpose of that first year.”

The English Hub has also developed a programme of support offering opportunities that will aid schools with their COVID recovery amid challenges that schools are facing this year,

To find out more about St Wilfrid’s English Hub, visit www.stwenglishhub.co.uk

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