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Saffery Champness has donated a wide selection of books to Amherst and Vauvert Primary schools as part of the Recovery Reading initiative set up by Guernsey based charity, ‘Every Child Our Future’ (ECOF).
Saffery Champness has donated a wide selection of books to Amherst and Vauvert Primary schools as part of the Recovery Reading initiative set up by Guernsey based charity, ‘Every Child Our Future’ (ECOF).
The programme, which began in New Zealand and has enjoyed many years of success in Europe, Australia and America, was brought to the island last year as one strand of the Support for Literacy project implemented by the ECOF charity, founded by Denise Fallaize.
The programme includes intensive one-to-one support offered to children in Years one and two (aged between five and seven) who struggle most with reading and writing skills. The aim is to boost both their skills and confidence, so they can manage well in the classroom alongside their peers. Support at this early age may avoid years of struggle and the onset of negative feelings about reading and writing, school and themselves.
As a way of supporting the efforts of the charity, Saffery Champness offered to provide essential reading material to both Amherst and Vauvert Primary schools.
Deborah Setters from Vauvert and Lindsey Angliss from Amherst are both teachers who have been trained in the programme and have seen at first-hand the improvements the scheme has had on their pupils who struggle with reading and writing.
Mrs Angliss said: “This generous donation has made it possible for us to provide a good selection of books at the higher levels our Year 2 children are now achieving. It has been a privilege to watch our children become readers in such a short space of time.”
Mrs Setters said: “The ability to read and write can change the future prospects of a child. It has been very rewarding to work with these children and in partnership with their families.”
Jeremy Ellis, audit partner at Saffery Champness and ex-Vauvert pupil, got to see how the initiative is helping children when he went back to school with his colleague, Karen Meagher, senior tax administrator, who herself is an ex-Amherst pupil, to meet Mrs Setters and Mrs Angliss.
“As ex pupils of the primary schools where the Reading Recovery programme is being rolled out, it was great see the visible improvement in the children taking part in the scheme. The support they get from teachers like Deborah and Lindsey is amazing and it is wonderful to know that many more children will benefit from the Reading Recovery initiative.”
