Skyla is 10. She loves reading but this hasn’t always been the case. Growing up in Middlesbrough and a pupil at Beech Grove Primary School, Skyla crossed paths with our local National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough team when she and her fellow classmates took part in our Little Big Book Club. Discover how her love of books has grown as a result…
The odds are stacked against pupils who are in the catchment for Beech Grove Primary School - a local authority-maintained school in the top 1% of the most deprived communities in the UK, with 65% of pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium. However, despite these statistics and in the face of many challenges, the school has committed to ensure their pupils get the best start in life.
Part of the school's dedication to providing a holistic approach to education has been to jump at a myriad of opportunities provided by the National Literacy Trust team in Middlesbrough. In fact, Beech Grove Primary School has partnered with us for over 12 years, taking part in all the programmes and initiatives that have been on offer.
“I love reading at the book club, and at home with my mum”
The partnership meant that the National Literacy Trust came alongside Beech Grove to try and boost engagement around reading for pleasure within the school. This took the form of the Little Big Book Club, an initiative in partnership with HarperCollins, where parents and their children are gifted books to take home. For some children, this is the first book they have owned and the first story they can have at home to experience again and again. Families taking part in the Little Big Book Club enjoy a range of reading activities and games, alongside dedicated reading time which in turn encourages children to read aloud and share their thoughts as they become more confident in discussing what they’ve read.
Skyla took part in this programme as well as other brilliant reading for pleasure initiatives in her school. Not only did this immersion in book choice, reading for pleasure and sharing stories ignite a love of books in Skyla, the project also inspired her mum to buy more books to surround herself with at home.
Skyla was introduced to a different approach to reading through her school’s connection with the National Literacy Trust which helped her to develop a passion for reading and even reflects that,
“Whenever I feel sad, reading makes me feel better and I can relax and get cosy and escape to another place.”
We partner with local schools to equip and empower teachers and children
The National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough’s approach, and our approach to place-based partnership, ensures that we come along schools to empower, equip and support teachers as they work, day-in-day-out to educate and inspire their pupils. Skyla testifies to the dedication of her Year 4 teacher, Miss Park whose tangible passion for reading inspired Skyla to notice the impact of her teacher,
“[Miss Parks] LOVES reading and she recommended The Butterfly Lion for me because I was finding it hard to choose a book for myself and she knew I would love it.”
As a result of Skyla’s involvement with our initiatives and the support and dedication of staff at her school, she has found an opportunity to discover a new favourite book, I love Paris which she loves for its humour and how it transports her to Paris where she has yet to visit. But perhaps even more than that, Skyla was then able to bravely rise to the challenge, flex her literacy skills and share her love of books with other people when she read aloud at a local care home as part of an intergenerational project, exclaiming, “I think they enjoyed [the book, I love Paris] as much as I did!”
What’s next for Skyla?
Skyla has gone on to become head girl at Beech Grove and has aspirations to go to college when she leaves school, “I would like to be a teacher to make other children happy and share stories with them like Miss Park.”
Will you help us empower more children like Skyla?
Imagine if we inspired more children like Skyla to discover a love of reading and grow in confidence by empowering them with vital literacy skills. Not only will we see more children thrive now but allow them to ignite aspirations for their own future. You can help by making a donation today.
If you’re in Middlesbrough and want to find out how you can be part of changing children’s life stories on your doorstep, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re a local teacher, part of the community or interested in offering corporate support, email Middlesbrough@literacytrust.org.uk
Read more about our place-based approach partnering for over 10 years with schools, communities and local businesses in Middlesbrough.