A school in Woodingdean has won a national award from a key national body for their work helping children who have struggled with their reading.
Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery was named top school in the ‘Exceptional Strategic Management of Literacy in a School’ category at the annual Institute of Education ‘Reading Recovery’ awards in London.
Reading Recovery is a specialist programme that enables the lowest achieving children aged five or six to reach age-expected levels within 20 weeks. It involves one-to-one lessons for 30 minutes every day with a specially trained teacher.
Also honoured at the awards ceremony was specialist literacy teacher Laura Alderson, of Carlton Hill Primary School in central Brighton. Laura was named South East Teacher of the Year for her outstanding contribution to children’s literacy.
The chair of the judging panel, Janet Ferris, said: “Rudyard Kipling is a wonderful example of what is achievable when we make a commitment to ensure that all children learn to read well and with joy, whatever it takes.
“Laura Alderson has raised the standard for us all. She has found ways of making sure that all children get the support they need to become able and enthusiastic readers and writers.”
The chair of the council’s children and young people committee, Councillor Sue Shanks, said: “In education nothing is more important than basic literacy – all other learning stems from it.
“Both Rudyard Kipling primary school and Laura Alderson deserve to be regarded as heroes for changing so many children’s lives for the better.”