DISPATCHES: HOPE FOR THE LAST CHANCE KIDS

September 8th, 2008 by Lisa McGarry. Tags:

A year ago, Channel 4’s Lost for Words season highlighted the unacceptable scale of children leaving primary school without basic literacy skills.

A three-part series followed the progress of children at Monteagle Primary School in Dagenham, Essex. The number of children at the school with the right reading skills for their age group doubled in one year through the use of a systematic programme of learning to read using synthetic phonics. In this, the National Year of Reading, Dispatches returns to Monteagle to find out how the children are faring and examines the situation for children across Britain.

Monday 8 September 2008
8:00pm

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One Response to “DISPATCHES: HOPE FOR THE LAST CHANCE KIDS”

  1. SAMANTHA LLOYD-JEFFRIES Says:
    September 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm

    MIRFIELD, being just on the outskirts of Huddersfield, almost stands as a town alone. We, the Mirfield people, feel separate from Dewsbury and Huddersfield and have our own little identity.

    I have lived in Mirfield all my life and am currently bringing up my two children there. I have always been proud to be from Mirfied. It’s always been a lovely place to live and has been well known for its ideal situation and good schooling.

    However, Kirklees are wanting to change this. They want to close Castle Hall School which is a wonderful school and where I wanted my children to go after Crowlees. I do not understand the ridiculous proposals they are putting forward to us and the brochure that has come home with my children has really upset and annoyed me.

    Mirfield will be ruined if Kirklees get their way and enlarge Mirfield Free Grammar and close Castle Hall. Children do not thrive in such a big impersonal environment which this would create. They thrive in smaller, more personal numbers and the plans to change our well-known schools are outrageous.

    I, as a parent, know the concerns of many Mirfield people. So Kirklees … we will not let this closure of Castle Hall happen without a fight. You cannot destroy the future of our little town and the Mirfield children by enlarging one excellent school and closing another excellent one then invite more pupils from outside the area where schools are currently failing. This is not what Mirfield wants or needs.

    We are happy just as we are and we should have a say. MFG and Castle Hall have a very healthy competition. This should not and does not need changing.

    S Lloyd-Jeffries

    Mirfield

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