An education conference focused on improving outcomes for children in Isle of Wight schools took place on the Isle of Wight last week.
The conference was organised by the Department for Education (DfE) following conversations between Island MP Bob Seely and Schools Minister Nick Gibb and took place at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in Carisbrooke.
Headteachers from over twenty Isle of Wight primary schools heard from officials from the DfE and Ofsted as well as representatives from Springhill Catholic Primary School in Southampton – an English Hub school providing outreach and support to all schools, academies and free schools to improve teaching of phonics, early language and reading.
Through the DfE’s English Hub programme, Springhill is offering all Isle of Wight primary schools a free fully funded early reading review to help support teachers to drive up reading levels for Island children. All of the support model packages are delivered for free with backfill costs covered.
Not only does the support package include advice about best practice, Isle of Wight schools can also apply for funding from the hub up to £9,000.
Speaking after the conference Bob Seely MP said: “I am grateful to all those who attended the conference last Friday. It’s vital we give children the best start in life.
“Thanks to phonics teaching in UK schools, England now has the fourth best reading standards in the world. I want to do what I can to make sure that Island children’s reading standards are as good, if not better, than those across the country and that there is a programme in place for our teachers on the Island.
“The conference was a great place to start.
“The teachers I spoke to were very passionate about improving reading through phonics teaching and I know they will go back to their schools with the firm knowledge that there is support just a phone call away.
“I am grateful to St Thomas’s for hosting us.”
Mr Seely said he has spoken to the Schools Minister about the Isle of Wight having its own centre of excellence for phonics teaching.
He said: “The Government has accepted my argument that the Island needs its own English Hub centre of excellence in future. This is to ensure that best practice can be shared throughout Island schools. We are going to work towards that.”
More information about the Springhill Education Hub can be found here.
