A team of Reading Mentors are now in place and working with 10 Year 2 pupils at St John’s Primary School, Locks Heath on a Monday afternoon to help improve their reading skills. Partnering with the Faith & Football charity and the School, the reading mentors have been using familiar Bible stories to give the children new skills and new confidence as they listen, encourage and inspire. The children were specially chosen by the school.

The Extra Time Literacy Scheme is Faith & Football’s response to the need there is amongst many children who are underachieving in reading. Being able to read is a basic building block for life which all children need in order to fulfill their potential. The aim is to help mobilise Christians to spend time mentoring those who are struggling with this skill on a one to one basis.

Faith & Football have designed and written a reading scheme on four levels all based on Bible stories which are delivered to year 2 pupils (6 and 7 years old). The aim is to equip children to become confident and literate so that they may be enabled to realise their full potential as they progress through their education.

It works like this. The school identify the children who would benefit from this extra help and obtain the permission of the parents. We train volunteers who then go to the school for 1 hour a week between October and July. Each child is assigned a mentor who spends 30 minutes with them each week one to one and then there is a 30 minute group session for the children. Each mentor would therefore help 2 children in the hour. At the end of each term there is a presentation to the parents with awards and celebrations.

If you are interested in being part of this life-giving programme in the future please let This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it know. You will need to attend 3 training sessions in August 2012 and have an Enhanced CRB check (which we will carry out for you). More information about the scheme can be found on the Faith & Football website.

The Easter Term Celebration at St John’s School