19 local primary and secondary schools have signed the Swindon Schools Literacy Pledge, committing to an increased focus on literacy in their schools and settings.
The Swindon Schools Literacy Pledge asks schools to commit to improving literacy in three key areas: in their overall school strategy, in their community engagement and every day in the classroom. Actions include sending information to parents on library membership, completing annual surveys about pupils’ attitude to reading and identifying a school governor to focus on literacy.
An event to celebrate the pledge was held at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery on Monday 11 March. Attendees heard from Sarah Foulkes, Commissioner for Education, and from a National Literacy Trust representative who gave a national and local perspective on the pledge. Various cultural organisations, including Prime Theatre, the library service and the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, on their offer to schools.
Schools that sign the pledge receive a year of National Literacy Trust membership for free, which gives them access to a host of tools and resources to help them improve literacy provision throughout the school.
Anish Harrison, Manager of the National Literacy Trust Hub in Swindon, said:
“We’re delighted that so many schools have already signed the Swindon Schools Literacy Pledge. It’s a great opportunity to highlight and make a public commitment to the brilliant work many of them are undertaking to inspire pupils and improve their literacy provision in support of the Swindon Stories campaign. A focus on literacy across all subjects is vital to help pupils develop the skills they need to do well throughout school and in later life. We’re looking forward to working with schools to help them fulfil the pledge and we hope that more schools will be inspired to make this commitment to literacy.”
Schools who want to sign the Swindon Schools Literacy Pledge can still do so by emailing Anish Harrison on anish.harrison@literacytrust.org.uk.