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Coronation Celebrations

The National Literacy Trust Invited our Youth Literacy Champions to London for Coronation Celebrations.

Four Year 13 students were invited to attend a event in London on the 6 May to celebrate the King’s Coronation. The invitation has come from The National Literacy Trust in recognition of the literacy support that the students have shown to their peers over the past year in their roles as Youth Literacy Champions. In the year since the peer reading scheme was introduced, the Year 13 students have spent morning tutor time mentoring pupils in Year 7 and 8. They meet once or twice a week during the school day and develop literacy skills linked with subjects across the curriculum. 

On arriving at Lambeth Palace they found themselves being interviewed by a French journalist enquiring about their opinions on the monarchy. This was shortly followed by recording a poem for The National Literacy Trust in the grounds of Lambeth Palace. The poem, ‘The Gift of Reading’, was commissioned for The Big Help Out and written by Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho.

They then set off for St. Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey for a live screening of The Coronation and premium viewing of the procession as it left The Abbey to return to Buckingham Palace. The day then rounded up with lunch back in the gardens of Lambeth Palace and an opportunity to chat with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Assistant Head Teacher Wendy Gooding said I am delighted to have been able to nominate 4 fantastic Year 13 students to represent Jack Hunt School at this once in a lifetime opportunity. The 4 very worthy nominees have completed national training to upskill themselves as Literacy Tutors and have then enthusiastically and skilfully engaged with our KS3 students to support them in accelerating their literacy levels.

The support the school has received from the National Literacy Trust over the past few years should also be recognised – the expertise they can offer along with novel ideas and events will have a positive impact on outcomes for our young people.

The young volunteers were accompanied to the event by Suzanne Tuck, a fellow Literacy Champion and High Level Teaching Assistant at Jack Hunt.