Money well spent!

“Implementing both literacy and numeracy works out at about 26p per child per week. I think that is money well spent!”
Ian Young, Head Teacher
Christ Church Primary School, Walshaw, Bury

In March 2007, Christ Church Primary School in Walshaw, Bury, received a glowing Ofsted report, praising the school’s “clear focus on raising and maintaining high standards”.

Just over a year earlier, the head teacher, Ian Young, had come across a leaflet describing Workabooks. He felt they might be able to slot into their drive to keep on raising standards. “Our homework provision at the time was weak, we were photocopying sheets from standard sources, they were a bit dull, always black and white and the kids didn’t really value them; they got stuffed into bags and never seen again.”

Parents, too, were unclear about the homework sheets, “They didn’t really know what their kids were supposed to be doing with them and there was no way for them to provide feedback to us.” In short, the school’s homework strategy “lacked purpose, quality and focus.”

Mr. Young ordered an evaluation set of Workabooks and showed them to parents, staff and the school council. The response was positive and the decision was made to fund the purchase from the school budget.

Workabooks have now become an integral part of the school’s mission to raise standards. “The key for me has been the way Workabooks promote partnerships between the teachers, the children and parents and carers. It’s a virtuous circle that has directly raised the standards of literacy and numeracy in the school” says Mr. Young.

Teachers value the scope Workabooks provide for differentiated learning. The open-ended thinking tasks, for example, mean children can stretch themselves at a level right for them. As a result, the children – of all abilities – have been making “fantastic progress”.

“In terms of personalised learning, Workabooks are absolutely spot on” says Mr. Young, “There is nothing else on the market that matches the quality of this scheme.”