Nurturing a Love for Reading

Every Wednesday lunchtime a group of keen Alleyn’s Year 10, 11 and 12 volunteers head down to Harris Primary School to read with a small group of Year 5’s.

Each Alleyn’s student supports one or two Year 5 pupils. They read a few pages with them and then chat about the story and the kind of books they enjoy. The Year 5’s are so excited to be able to talk about their favourite books with the older children. Milly in Year 10 said: “It’s really sweet to see them so excited to see us”.

Our students are absolute stars, helping the younger pupils with difficult and new vocabulary. Explaining her favourite thing about this volunteering option, Georgia in Year 10 said:

“It’s wonderful watching their progress and confidence grow. As the ‘teachers’, we fill in their reading records, and really help the Year 5’s feel a real sense of achievement as their literacy develops.”

Ninety Alleyn's Middle and Upper School students and 15 teachers take part in regular volunteering across 15 different projects. As well as helping pupils at Harris Primary Academy learn to read, volunteering activities include socialising with residents of the Elms Care Home, sorting and distributing food at the Albrighton Community Fridge twice a week, assisting with the co-curricular programmes at Dulwich Hamlet and Bessemer Primary Schools and providing one-on-one English tuition to young Ukranian children.

Check the Alleyn’s Partnerships Twitter feed for regular updates on how our pupils and staff support the local community.