impact
In 2024, the Watergrove Trust in Rochdale analysed the impact of Literacy Kicks programmes across five of its schools.
In total, 11 classes from three primary and two secondary schools took part. Two pieces of impact data were gathered before and after the five-week courses, from learners and staff. Specifically, staff were asked to note the tangible improvements in the learners’ use of punctuation, sentence construction, paragraphs, grammar, consideration of audience and writing stamina.
The average assessment of each of the 11 classes increased across the six categories, in several cases significantly, as with the below example.
The learner voice reiterated this, finding that:
• 91% of learners who attended Literacy Kicks sessions enjoyed the input.
• 81% of learners stated that they had a deeper understanding of why writing was important following the sessions.
• 78% reported that they now enjoyed writing more.
• 82% of learners stated the sessions have helped them to enjoy reading.
• 83% of the learners also said that they now enjoy journalistic writing more due to the articles that they were exposed to in the sessions.
Watergrove Trust’s Jenna King Jagger, who compiled the data, said: “Gareth is evidently passionate about journalistic writing and this enthusiasm transfers with ease to the learners.
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“In Key Stage 3 we focused on learners who had below average outcomes in Key Stage 2 SATs to close attainment gaps working with Gareth. Despite our learners recognising the importance of reading and writing, in some of our schools, only eight percent of this cohort stated that they actually enjoyed reading and writing. This context further emphasises the positive impact of Gareth's work.
“Gareth fostered our Trust charter of ‘Coach, Challenge and Innovate’ brilliantly, working collectively with us to co-construct some of the articles and reading linked to our Trust priorities. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Gareth and the Literacy Kicks programme. Thank you Gareth for your commitment to this important work of literacy and making this necessary input so accessible to the learners who need this the most.”
In 2022 and 2023, Literacy Kicks partnered with Ashton United in the Community, Smallshaw Hurst Children’s Community and Save the Children to provide six-week programmes for over 250 primary and secondary school children in the town. As part of the project, the Smallshaw Hurst Children’s Community carried out its own independent data on the impact that the programmes had.
Of the 179 primary school children that took part, 78 percent said that they enjoyed writing more after completing the Literacy Kicks course, and 61 percent said it enhanced their enjoyment of reading. The project also impacted positively on pupils’ careers aspirations, with 48 percent of primary school children and 33 percent of secondary school pupils reporting that it had made them consider different careers.
A further legacy of Literacy Kicks programmes has seen schools developing and publishing newspapers to report specifically on their own sporting activities. Examples of these, along with more detailed results from the above data analysis, can be shared on request via info@literacykicks.com.