Pearsons
We are currently investigating a new project with Pearsons.

Contact Charlie Griffiths for more information on this new exciting project.

Date Added :7th February 2010

The Rose Report / Work with Families
The NLA has been pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to Sir Jim Rose’s Review of the Primary Curriculum and to discuss with him possible future projects to bring books alive for families who may not be confident readers. As a result of a meeting with Jim Rose, NLA made contact with Wendy Scott who has been at the forefront of learning in the Early Years. Trustees were pleased to have the opportunity to meet Wendy, who has provided us with many links to follow up.

Date Added :7th February 2010

Reading Stars.
The project has had a successful year. A new cohort of children and young people have benefited from individual support through the project’s work.

Events and activities have been delivered to engage with looked after children (LAC) who are placed at home with parents. The activities included children and parents together, focusing on the popular storybook ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’.

The training of carers, staff from other agencies and volunteers has been successful and from this volunteers were placed in school to work with LAC. The training package and DVD was adapted for use with carers living out of the Kirklees district and a pilot run was carried out

The work with children homes on their “Reading Friendliness” has continued, and a framework for self-assessment has been trialled and approved.

The pilot of the Reading Stars kits was carried out with two young people living out of area.

Work has been done with schools to ensure that the children & young people involved in the project can access appropriate follow-up support, e.g. by joining a school-based Reading Friends group.

The project has been enhanced by links made to other initiatives such as The Letterbox Club and other Booktrust initiatives.

Date Added :7th February 2010

REAL in Sandwell
working with Sandwell Council and West Bromwich Albion Football club with "Lads and their Dads" to improve literacy through football and coaching.

Date Added :3rd June 2007

Authors Against SATs
Campaign for the Book / Authors against SATs

The abolition of the Key Stage 3 SATs (national tests for fourteen year olds) has opened up space to create a more imaginative approach to literature in secondary schools. The NLA has remained involved with the Authors against SATs campaign and were pleased to see this development.

The NLA had two representatives at the Campaign for the Book Conference, to show support for Allan Gibbons’ campaign. The Campaign seeks to halt the closure of school and public libraries and to highlight the importance of having librarians. NLA continues to keep in touch with Alan Gibbons and his campaign.

Date Added :3rd June 2007

Reading Letters
Wendy Cooling our Independent Author is still looking for additional letters to publish. Wendy has coordinated these and has forwarded copies to Rona for review. We eagerly await sponsorship to get them published.

Date Added :3rd June 2007

Believe in me Video
We have just finished working with the Who Cares? Trust to produce a training video, Believe in Me, for designated teachers who work with looked after children in schools. Our previous media productions include Breaking their Fall in which looked after children spoke of their educational experiences.

Get the video at from:
The Who Cares? Trust
Kemp House
152-160 City Road
London EC1V 2NP

Telephone : 020 7251 3117
Fax : 020 7251 3123



Date Added :7th April 2006

Birmingham REAL
This two-year school-based project, run jointly with Birmingham Partnership for Change, started in Spring 2002. REAL involved more than 250 Year 5 and 6 children in three schools with a high proportion of children from African and Caribbean communities. The project helped provided a book-rich environment by donating books and Reading Passports. The books feature black characters as the main protagonists. Every child was also given a hand-held portable computer for the use in class and at home. REAL reached beyond the schools to involve the wider community; libraries, theatre groups, local businesses, poets and authors are all playing their part. Birmingham REAL was supported by amongst others, The Barrow Cadbury Trust, The Tudor Trust, The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, The Roald Dahl Foundation, The Community Fund and Birmingham Grid for Learning. The full Evaluation is available from the UCE.

Date Added :7th April 2006

Looking After Literacy in Kent
During 2002, we worked with The Who Cares? Trust and Kent County Council on a project to improve the reading skills of more than 60 children in local authority care. At the start each child was given a hand-help portable computer, a Reading Passport and a book token. Throughout the year “project visitors” seconded from Kent County Council brought the children a choice of books. The independent evaluation by Professor Sheila Wolfendale and Trevor Bryans was made available in October 2005 and we were pleased and encouraged by the success stories we heard. Looking After Literacy in Kent was supported by the Collyer-Fergusson Trust and Kent County Council.

Date Added :7th April 2006

REAL 2
Raising Expectations and Achievement in Literacy. This project is based in two inner city schools in Birmingham and builds on the success of the previous REAL project. This project currently provides each child with a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), interactive whiteboards have been installed in all teaching rooms and teachers have been trained in their use. It is hoped that this model project (supported by Birmingham LACIT and Aston Pride) will both help more children in years 5 and 6 to achieve Level 4 and above in KS2 SATs and provide a model for future IT support for literacy (and across the curriculum).

Date Added :7th April 2006