PUPILS at a dale primary school gave a big thumbs up to news they are among the top two per cent in the country at phonics – a method of learning to read and write.
The news did not come as a surprise to the children or staff at St Mary’s RC Primary School, in Barnard Castle – but what did was a letter last month from the minister of state for school standards, Nick Gibb, congratulating them.
Headteacher Lesley Box said she was delighted and “absolutely thrilled” to receive the letter about the children’s success in the last school year.
She added: “We knew what the results were and it was a lovely surprise to have the letter to show appreciation of all the hard work by the children and staff. To be in the top two per cent in the country is quite an achievement so we were all thrilled to received the letter”
In his letter, Mr Gibb says: “Your excellent teaching of phonics is something I hope to see replicated across the country – decoding skills are the foundations for pupils to progress to reading fluently.
“With 100 per cent of pupils at St Mary’s reaching or exceeding the pass mark in the check, your school is in the top two per cent of all primary schools in the country. Your success in teaching phonics and early reading so effectively means your pupils are developing a firm foundation in literacy.”
