Everest Reading Project

Working with the author Matt Dickinson and Harrow School Library Services John Lyon students facilitate online workshops to explore books written by Matt and encourage children from partner schools to consider a wide range of themes that can be drawn from these texts

Aims

To work with the children in partner schools either to challenge and stimulate thinking skills and emotional intelligence in able readers or to support and encourage reading skills and exploring ideas in children who require additional support with their reading.  This is particularly valuable following the period of remote learning due to COVID 19 restrictions.

Background

This project was suggested by Matt Dickinson with whom we have worked in the past.  Working with Harrow School Library Services, we were able to identify a number of local primary schools whose pupils could benefit from this initiative. This phase of the project started at the start of the Summer Term 2021.

Resources

Matt Dickinson launched the project with bespoke online workshops with each school supported by John Lyon students.

The students work with an academic member of John Lyon English department to develop online resources to be used in the project on a weekly basis.

The John Lyon School has provided partner schools with copies of Matt Dickinson's  books to be used in the weekly online sessions.  There are two different texts chosen to be most appropriate for the participating children. John Lyon students will facilitate these weekly sessions.

Impact

Outcomes will be assessed in conjunction with the partner school teachers at the end of the Summer Term.

Pupil Involvement

Groups of Year 5 pupils from the three partner schools work with Year 11 students from John Lyon. Lower Sixth students at John Lyon have prepared many of the resources.

Frequency

This is an ongoing weekly activity.  It is hoped to secure funding to expand this to a wider audience at the start of the Autumn Term 2021. Should conditions allow, students would visit the partner schools in person to conduct the weekly sessions with all schools coming together for two larger scale workshops.