Our partner Boots Opticians brought businesses in Nottingham together on Monday 18 July to raise awareness of how they can help to raise literacy levels in the local area and across the UK.
The event introduced businesses in Nottingham to the role they can play as signatories of the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge 2017. Launched in November 2015, the Pledge highlights the commitment of business to tackling the literacy challenge. Boots Opticians was one of the inaugural signatories and to date 44 businesses have pledged to take action in three areas: in their workforce, in their local community and at a national level.
EYFS and national curriculum results suggest a need to focus on literacy in Nottingham. While there have been some improvements to children’s literacy skills across early years and Key Stage 2, the percentage of children in Nottingham achieving the expected level is still below the national average. At Key Stage 4 there has been a decrease in the number of pupils reaching the expected level and just 42.4% of pupils achieved 5+ A*-C GCSEs including English and mathematics in 2014/15.
Boots Opticians’ Support Office is based in Nottingham and colleagues are playing a vital role in engaging local schools and communities. As part of their efforts to fulfil the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge, colleagues have been working with the L.E.A.D. Academy Trust in Nottingham.
Teams of volunteers are providing reading support at four of the academies in the Trust, where many of the pupils speak English as a second language.
Read more about Boots Opticians’ work as part of the pledge.
Find out more about the Vision for Literacy Business