Lloyds insures kids’ reading partners are a hit—20 years on
A NATIONWIDE reading scheme for children that started life in a secondary school in London’s East End is marking its 20th anniversary at Lloyd’s of London—which came up with the idea in the first place. The reading partners’ scheme has volunteers from business spending time in schools helping children improve their reading and comprehension
A NATIONWIDE reading scheme for children that started life in a secondary school in London’s East End is marking its 20th anniversary at Lloyd’s of London—which came up with the idea in the first place.
The reading partners’ scheme involves volunteers from the world of business spending half-an-hour a week in schools helping children improve their skills in reading, conversation and comprehension.
The idea was originally conceived by insurance brokers at Lloyd’s HQ in The City in 1989, following a plea from Daneford School, now Bethnal Green Technology College, to help pupils with their literacy.
It was then introduced n the 1990s to primary schools and other secondary schools in Tower Hamlets.
You may also want to watch:
MENTOR
One pupil helped with her reading lessons in the early days at St Anne’s Primary in Whitechapel was Rachel Roberts, who was mentored by reading partner’ Robin Anderson.
Most Read
- 1 Tribute to 7th Barts Health Trust worker to die of Covid-19
- 2 Airbnb house party violence leaves police officer with broken finger
- 3 Teenager found dead in Victoria Park
- 4 Driver arrested after police 'drugs patrol' stops car in Whitechapel
- 5 Drug and alcohol abuse by Tower Hamlets parents and children soars
- 6 'We need laptops for lockdown children to learn from home’ Tower Hamlets mayor urges
- 7 Disgraceful management of the pandemic
- 8 Two in five people in Tower Hamlets may have had Covid-19
- 9 'Laptop bonanza' for schoolchildren in Poplar to help survive lockdown gloom
A decade later, Rachel, now 17 (pictured), needed a work placement as part of her legal secretarial course and got in touch with Robin again—she was offered a six-month placement with Lloyd’s.
“I’m enjoying my work experience,” she says. “I’m learning new skills which will help my career.”
The Lloyd’s scheme now has 1,400 business volunteers involved at 66 Tower Hamlets primary schools and 150 volunteers at 11 secondary schools.
But the idea has also caught on in schools up and down the country, where the partner’ concept is now used for many subjects apart from reading, including science and maths.
